“My mom is still mad that I didn’t go to college,” Frances Tiafoe opens up on his journey and struggles to turn Pro
Tiafoe reveals his journey from a childhood dream and struggles in turning pro and
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Del Potro and Tiafoe
The American star, Frances Tiafoe picks the Argentinian star, Juan Martin Del Potro as his first idol in tennis. Tiafoe grew up watching many players but saw Del Potro play in his first live match and hence became a fan of his since. Frances Tiafoe, seeded number 6, is among the top players at the ATP 500 tournament held in Acapulco.
Before the start of the Mexican tournament, he took part in an event organized by Mextennis to showcase the human aspect of the athletes. Having grown up with a clear vision of his future aspirations, the 25-year-old from Maryland openly acknowledged that he had always known what he wanted to pursue in life.
Speaking in Mexico, Tiafoe said, “I’ve always had the dream of becoming a tennis player since I was a child. Becoming a pro, I had the opportunity and I wanted to do it. My mom is still mad that I didn’t go to college, but that wasn’t in my plan, it was clear to me. As a kid, I used to watch the US Open and imagine what it would be like to play there.”
He further continued speaking and said, “I grew up watching Andre Agassi, Gael Monfils, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal. Juan Martin Del Potro was the first player I saw play live and at that point, he became my hero. I’ve played with a lot of guys and I still see a lot of them, we grew up together. Like now, I’ve been training all the time. What I’ve achieved is pretty c*azy.”
Frances Tiafoe cruises into the third round at Acapulco
The world No.16 had a mediocre start to the 2023 season. He faced a shocking upset from the 18th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round of the Australian Open 2023 in four sets. He then took part in the Dallas Open as the second seed but lost to his fellow country player, J.J. Wolf in the quarterfinals.
The American is currently playing in the Mexico Open in which he reached the third round without losing a set. He defeated Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round followed by defeating Feliciano López in the next. The sixth seed’s third-round draw hasn’t been revealed yet and is looking solid so far in the tournament.
Regarded as one of the most gifted players to emerge from the American tennis program, Tiafoe joined other notable figures like Matteo Berrettini and Feliciano Lopez at the event. Following the event, the American player headed to a training camp where he teamed up with Mackenzie McDonald to hit some rallies.
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Santhosh Tenneti
(308 Articles Published)