Demonstrating the skills that make him one of the world’s top players, JTCC alumnus Frances Tiafoe advanced to the US Open semifinals for the second time in three years earning him the distinction of being the only American man to reach the semifinals two times since 2000.
In 2022, Tiafoe secured his spot in the penultimate round after famously defeating 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the Round of 16.
A fan favorite known for his charismatic personality and indomitable spirit, Tiafoe captured the hearts of fans worldwide with his gritty determination, exquisite shot making, and effervescent smile during his fantastic run in 2024 before falling in a five-set thriller to Taylor Fritz.
In the first two rounds, Tiafoe defeated opponents Aleksander Kovacevic and Alexander Shevchenko, losing only one set in the two matches. In the third round, Tiafoe avenged last year’s US Open quarterfinal loss to Ben Shelton, by defeating him in his first five-set match of the tournament that played out for nearly four hours.
In the Round of 16, Tiafoe knocked off Australian Alexei Popyrin, who had previously taken out 25-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic. After defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals, Tiafoe faced Fritz in the first All-American semifinals since 2005.
JTCC held a watch party at CP Hall in College Park, MD to support Frances in his bid to advance to the US Open Championship. More than 300 Tiafoe and JTCC supporters packed the venue for the historic semifinal matchup. ESPN was also on-site filming and showed Tiafoe fans cheering exuberantly after he won the third set.
Tiafoe and his twin brother, Franklin, have been fixtures at JTCC since their childhood. Their family’s journey began when they immigrated from war-torn Sierra Leone in West Africa to the United States during the 1990s. At JTCC, their father, Constant, was in charge of maintenance, and the Tiafoe twins could often be found traversing JTCC grounds with tennis racquets in hand, observing and emulating the coaches and players.
Tiafoe initially joined the JTCC afterschool training program. As his tennis skills flourished within this nurturing environment, Tiafoe progressed through the JTCC development pathway and began training as a full-time participant. After becoming the youngest winner of the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl at age 15, it wasn’t long before his prodigious talent propelled him into the world of professional tennis world in 2015 at the age of 17.
Tiafoe’s next challenge will be to represent Team World at the seventh edition of the Laver Cup, which will be held at Uber Arena in Berlin, from September 20-22, 2024.
