Maryland tennis star Francis Tiafoe becomes third Black American to enter men's top 10

[bnew]

Maryland tennis star Francis Tiafoe becomes third Black American to enter men's top 10

Frances Tiafoe is now the third African American to break into the men's top 10 rankings.

www.cbsnews.com

BY ALEX GLAZE

UPDATED ON: JUNE 20, 2023 / 6:37 PM / CBS BALTIMORE



BALTIMORE -- A tennis player from Maryland has carved a niche for himself among the elite in the international tennis circuit.

Frances Tiafoe started his tennis journey at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland. His recent victory in Germany marked his third win of the year, placing him in the Top 10 worldwide.

Tiafoe is now the third African American to break into the Men's Top 10, a feat that inspires younger aspirants at the JTCC.

Stiles Brockett, a rising star at JTCC, shared his excitement, "It's unbelievable for the sport in general and also special to me as well. It's like I hope to be there one day with him."

Even amidst his global tour, Tiafoe still finds time to train at the JTCC, providing younger players a first-hand glimpse into the dedication required to become one of the best in the world.


"Just seeing how he's grown even in the time that I've known him is unbelievable. Him being kind of a mentor for me and helping me with all of my training and stuff gives me a lot of inspiration to see how far I can take the sport myself," Brockett said.

Tiafoe's coach, Komi Oliver Akli, said their ambitions go beyond just rankings.

"Top 10 is just a number. If you don't win any Grand Slams, no one is going to be like okay Tiafoe is Top 10. Nobody is going to remember that number," Akli said.

The spotlight now shifts to the Citi Open slated to be held in Washington DC at the end of July.


"We're trying to win the Citi Open to bring the whole JTCC, the whole nation, the whole DMV to the top," Akli said.

A victory would not only be a personal achievement for Tiafoe, but also a significant accolade for the JTCC and the wider tennis community.

 

[UncleTomFord15]

Frances Tiafoe was born on January 20, 1998, along with his twin brother Franklin, in Maryland, to Constant (better known as Frances Sr.) Tiafoe and Alphina Kamara, immigrants from Sierra Leone.[4] His father immigrated to the United States in 1993, while his mother joined him in 1996 to escape the civil war in their country. In 1999, his father began working as a day laborer on a construction crew that built the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. When the facility was completed, he was hired as the on-site custodian and given a spare office to live in at the center. Frances and Franklin lived with their father at the center for five days a week for the next 11 years. They took advantage of their living situation to start playing tennis regularly at age 4. They stayed with their mother when she was not working night shifts as a nurse.[5][6]

 

[Uchiha God]

Before this thread gets weird:

Salute to the breh

 

[CreepyMcCreeperson]

Frances Tiafoe was born on January 20, 1998, along with his twin brother Franklin, in Maryland, to Constant (better known as Frances Sr.) Tiafoe and Alphina Kamara, immigrants from Sierra Leone.[4] His father immigrated to the United States in 1993, while his mother joined him in 1996 to escape the civil war in their country. In 1999, his father began working as a day laborer on a construction crew that built the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. When the facility was completed, he was hired as the on-site custodian and given a spare office to live in at the center. Frances and Franklin lived with their father at the center for five days a week for the next 11 years. They took advantage of their living situation to start playing tennis regularly at age 4. They stayed with their mother when she was not working night shifts as a nurse.[5][6]

Just be happy a black man is doing great things.

 

[UncleTomFord15]

Just be happy a black man is doing great things.

just pointing out some quick facts family