Frances Tiafoe, a story of overcoming the US Open semifinals: how a trip to Sierra Leone awakened her belief in “getting what you want”

Over the past 16 years, no American had ever made it to the semifinals of the US Open. The 2022 edition aroused the illusion of North Americans at the hands of Francesca Tiafèwho beat the Russian in two sets on Wednesday Andrea Rublev (7-6 -3-, 7-6 -0-, 6-4) and broke into the top four at Flushing Meadows, to reposition his history of overcomingthanks to a sporting result.

About 20 minutes after certifying an American’s first semi-final appearance since 2006, he met his friends in a room at Arthur Ashe Stadium. He broke into hugs and joked with the entire group, including NBA star Bradley Beal.

“Let’s go take a really funny picture!” Shouted the 24-year-old, Maryland-born tennis player. Obviously they accepted. Tiafoe and his friends formed the letter “W” (for victory) with the fingers of both hands. Tiafoe’s girlfriend ran up to him, hugged him and blew him a kiss, putting lipstick on his mouth.

After taking the biggest win of his career last Monday, beating Rafael Nadal – the 22 major champion – in the fourth round, Tiafoe reached another milestone by beating Andrey Rublev, the ninth seed of the tournament.

“I love showing the world what I’m capable of,” said Tiafoe, the 22nd seeded at Flushing Meadows.

A trip as a trigger and the pandemic as a push

A phrase similar to the one expressed in New York that he once said during an interview with The Undefeated website, in 2019. At that moment he remembered how he was struck by the trip to Sierra Leone, the land of his parents Alphina Kamara and Constant Tiafoe. , whom they met in the United States after fleeing in the mid-1990s due to a civil war in the African country.

“Poverty is insane. You see it on TV, and then you see it up close and it’s like, damn. People were really in pain and there was very little hope. This made me realize that, as an American citizen, I have had opportunities and he was able to do what he wanted“, held.

His relationship with tennis started from his birth. His father had worked as a laborer in the construction of the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) and when the complex was inaugurated he was appointed keeper of the premises. Out of necessity, he volunteered to work overtime and on several occasions both Frances and her brother Franklin spent the night there. “I slept on folding tables in the office. That’s where my adventure began, ”Tiafoe recalled in an interview with Guardian in 2019.

There he met Misha Kouznetsov, a youth coach who came from Pennsylvania to find new talent. Because of his physical size, he made him compete with the older boys: he was 10 and faced rivals at least two years older.

He was the youngest champion in the history of Orange Bowl, Florida, one of the most prestigious youth tournaments. He quickly broke into the pro circuit to make his sporting dream come true. At the age of 17, he made his main draw debut at Roland Garros, becoming the youngest American to do so since Pete Sampras and Michael Chang in 1989.

In 2019 he reached his best season and his best ranking (29th February), as well as his best performance in a Grand Slam until this Wednesday: the quarter-finals of the Australian Open (where he lost to Nadal).

In early 2020, the American wasted all the good he got and it wasn’t his best version. But, even if it sounds strange, the Covid-19 pandemic seemed to favor him, as Tiafoe himself confessed.

“The pandemic was probably the best thing that has happened to me in my career, if we’re to be honest. I was in a dark place before the pandemic. I looked in the mirror and asked, ‘Why are you here? you have to change and what are the things you have to keep building on? ‘ It helped me a lot. There were a lot of deep conversations, “she revealed in an interview on the official website of the ATP.

That inner journey caused an explosion of confidence, which was carried over to the courts. How come? Between March 2017 and April 2021, his record against the top ten players on the ATP rankings was 3 wins and 21 losses.

But from June to the present, he has a streak of five wins and one defeat. His victims were: Stefanos Tsitsipas (in duplicate), Andrey Rublev (also in two) and Denis Shapovalov. After crashing in the ATP 500 final in Vienna in 2021 at the hands of Alexander Zverev, the negative streak is once again present.

Change of habits and illusion

This step forward was crystallized with the help of Tiafoe’s manager, former tennis player Wayne Ferreira, who pointed out that the player ‘wasn’t professional enough’‘, and mentioned major changes in her eating habits – lots of chocolates and cookies, and no breakfast -, training and working out in the gym.

“It took some time to gradually get us to where we are today,” said Ferreira. “I thought it would be at its best at the end of next year,” she added.

“I try to go out there and give people what they want, which is to see me win,” Tiafoe said.

Andy Roddick, in the stands at Ashe on Wednesday, was the last American to reach the semifinals in New York, losing to Roger Federer in the championship match 16 years ago. Roddick is also the latest player from the host country to win a singles title in any Grand Slam event, winning the 2003 US Open.

Now, Tiafoe looks forward to his chance next Friday, with the crowd in his favor.