Frances Tiafoe is about to take on Australia’s Alex de Minaur in his third-round match at the Australian Open.
The 28-year-old American tennis player reached a career-high ranking of World No. 10 in 2023 and he’s told reporters he’s excited to take on de Minaur in the men’s singles on Friday night.
“I’ve known him [de Minaur] for a while, known him for a long time,” he said.
“Him and me, we’ve played since we came on the scene. Got in the top 100, kind of around the same time.
“I’ve seen him around for years, and now we’re the older guys on the tour, and now we’re playing big matches against each other.”
Alex de Minaur knows the match won’t be easy. “Frances, he’s super dangerous. He’s playing well, got a lot of firepower,” he said about the head-to-head.
“He’s a veteran. We’ve had some battles in the past. I wouldn’t expect anything other than an absolute battle against him.
“He seems to be locked in.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Frances Tiafoe:
Frances Tiafoe’s early life
Frances and his twin brother Franklin were born and raised in the state of Maryland.
Their parents, Constant and Alphina, had immigrated to the US after fleeing civil war-torn Sierra Leone.
When the boys were toddlers, Constant got a job as a day labourer on a construction crew working on the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park. When the construction was complete, Constant was hired as the Center’s on-site custodian and given a spare office to live in.
For the next 11 years, the boys lived at the Center with their father five nights a week, while their mother worked night shifts as a nurse. It was here that Frances learnt to play tennis from a young age.
When Frances was eight years old, Misha Kouznetsov began coaching him and also started sponsoring him to compete in the junior tournaments.
Frances Tiafoe’s junior tennis career
When he was a teenager, Frances moved to the USTA National Training Center in Boca Raton, Florida, to continue his junior tennis career.
At just 14, he competed in Les Petits As, his first major prestigious international tournament.
He eventually reached world No. 2 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings, and in 2015, he won the USTA Junior National Championship at 17, and earned himself a wildcard entry into the US Open.
Frances Tiafoe’s professional tennis career
After turning pro in 2015, Frances won his first ATP title at Delray Beach in 2018, becoming the youngest American ATP champion since Andy Roddick in 2002.
Over the next 10 years, he became a two-time US Open semifinalist, an Australian Open quarter-finalist, and a French Open quarter-finalist, and reached a career-high ranking as World No. 10 in 2023.
He’s become known as a formidable opponent on the court, with a strong forehand and high-impact serve. He’s equally known for his ability to entertain the crowd while on the court and by his self-proclaimed nickname ‘Big Foe’.
“I had two friends growing up, and we talked about what college we would go to,” he said in 2023, explaining the origin of the nickname.
“They said, ‘If you play for the Georgia Bulldogs, they’ll call you Big Foe, wooh wooh!’
“That was kind of like a funny thing, and then it just stuck.”
Frances says he now uses the name as an alter ego while he’s on the court.
“When I’m out there, I’m Big Foe competing,” he said.
“Big Foe is kind of a lifestyle thing. It’s just about doing everything you do with style, be fun out there, and be energetic. So yeah, that’s what Big Foe is.”
Who is Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend?
In regards to his personal life, Frances has been dating fellow professional tennis player Ayan Broomfield since 2015.
Ayan is a Canadian tennis player who played for Clemson University in South Carolina before transferring to UCLA.
She’s landed partnerships with Wilson and Athleta and was a body double for the actress who played Venus Williams in King Richard.
“Happy 28th bday to @ayan.broomfield my BB. Sooo proud all your growth you’ve made personally and professionally this past year. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for you my love. Thankful to call you mine. My BB is 1 of 1,” Francis wrote on Instagram last year.
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