History of Frances Tiafoe in Timeline

Frances Tiafoe Jr. is a professional tennis player from the United States. He achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 10 in singles on June 19, 2023. This accomplishment made him the first Sierra Leonean American man to reach the top 10 in the ATP rankings.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1972: Arthur Ashe in US Open Semifinals

In 1972, Arthur Ashe reached the US Open semifinals. Tiafoe became the first black American man to reach the semifinals in Flushing Meadows since Arthur Ashe in 1972.

1989: Chang and Sampras at French Open

In 1989, Michael Chang and Pete Sampras participated in the French Open. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

1989: Michael Chang at French Open

In 1989, Michael Chang played at the French Open. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

1990: Andre Agassi at French Open

In 1990, Andre Agassi played in the French Open final. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

1993: Father's Immigration to the U.S.

In 1993, Frances Tiafoe's father immigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone, setting the stage for the family's future in America.

1996: Mother's Immigration to the U.S.

In 1996, Frances Tiafoe's mother joined his father in the United States, having immigrated from Sierra Leone to escape the civil war in their country.

January 20, 1998: Frances Tiafoe Jr. Born

On January 20, 1998, Frances Tiafoe Jr. was born in Maryland, marking the beginning of his life.

1999: Father's Job at JTCC

In 1999, Frances Tiafoe's father began working as a day laborer at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland. Later he became the on-site custodian, providing the Tiafoe brothers an opportunity to live and play tennis at the center.

2002: Andy Roddick's US Clay Court Championships Win

In 2002, Andy Roddick won the US Clay Court Championships. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

2004: Andy Roddick defeated Nadal

In 2004, Andy Roddick defeated Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament. Tiafoe's win over Nadal marked only the third time an American had defeated Nadal in a Grand Slam since Roddick's victory in 2004.

2005: All-American Semifinal at US Open

In 2005, Andre Agassi and Robby Ginepri met in an all-American semifinal at the US Open. In 2023, Tiafoe reached the semifinals for the second time after the retirement of Grigor Dimitrov, setting up an all all-American semifinal with Taylor Fritz, the first at a Grand Slam since 2005 at the US Open.

2005: James Blake defeated Rafael Nadal at the US Open

In 2005, James Blake defeated Rafael Nadal at the US Open as a wildcard. This is relevant because Tiafoe's win against Nadal was the first time an American had defeated Nadal at a major since Blake's victory in 2005.

2006: Andy Roddick reached US Open quarterfinals

In 2006, Andy Roddick reached the US Open quarterfinals. Tiafoe became the youngest American man to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Roddick in 2006.

2010: Last American man before Tiafoe

In 2010, an American man had defeated a top-three seed at a major before Tiafoe.

2011: Roddick and Fish streak

From 2011 to 2012, Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish had achieved a certain result at the US Open. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

2011: Donald Young at US Open

In 2011, Donald Young reached the round of 16 in the US Open. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

December 2013: Orange Bowl Victory

In December 2013, Frances Tiafoe became the youngest player to win the Orange Bowl, defeating Stefan Kozlov in the final shortly before his 16th birthday. This marked a significant achievement in his junior career.

2013: Orange Bowl Win

In 2013, at the age of 15, Frances Tiafoe won the Orange Bowl, becoming the youngest boys' singles champion in the tournament's history.

2014: ATP Tour Debut and US Open

In 2014, Frances Tiafoe debuted on the ATP Tour at the Washington Open, losing his first match. He also participated in the US Open, where he lost in the qualifying draw but won his first ATP-level doubles match with Michael Mmoh.

2014: French Open Junior Tournament

In 2014, Frances Tiafoe was the top seed at the French Open junior tournament, but was upset in the second round. He also lost at Wimbledon to Noah Rubin.

2014: Junior Grand Slam Results

In 2014, Frances Tiafoe's results at Junior Grand Slam tournaments were: Reached the second round (2R) at the French Open, reached the third round (3R) at Wimbledon and reached the semi-finals(SF) at the US Open.

March 2015: First Professional Title

In March 2015, Frances Tiafoe claimed his first professional title by winning the ITF Futures tournament at Bakersfield.

April 2015: ATP Challenger Breakthrough

In April 2015, Frances Tiafoe broke through onto the ATP Challenger level, achieving a string of solid results. He reached the quarterfinals of Sarasota, the semifinals of Savannah, and his first Challenger final at Tallahassee, where he defeated top seed Facundo Bagnis. This performance earned him the 2015 Har-Tru Challenge and a wildcard spot into the main draw of the 2015 French Open.

August 2015: USTA Junior National Championship

In August 2015, Frances Tiafoe won the USTA Junior National Championship at the age of 17, capping his junior career. The win earned him a wild card into the main draw at the 2015 US Open.

May 2016: Sponsored by Nike

Since May 2016, Frances Tiafoe was sponsored by Nike. He was also previously sponsored by Adidas.

2016: Top 100 ATP Ranking

In 2016, Frances Tiafoe broke into the top 100 of the ATP rankings, marking a significant milestone in his professional career.

2016: Indian Wells Masters Win

In 2016, Frances Tiafoe was awarded a wild card into the main draw of the Indian Wells Masters, where he won his first-round match against Taylor Fritz, marking his only ATP match win of the year.

2016: Sam Querrey at Wimbledon

In 2016, Sam Querrey had an achievement at Wimbledon. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

2016: John Isner's comments at the US Open

In 2016, after facing Frances Tiafoe at the US Open, John Isner commented on Tiafoe's ability to return his serve and suggested improvements for Tiafoe's second serve.

2016: Robby Ginepri began coaching

In the fall of 2016, Robby Ginepri, a former US Open semifinalist, began coaching Frances Tiafoe.

2017: World TeamTennis debut

In 2017, Frances Tiafoe debuted in World TeamTennis with the Washington Kastles.

2017: First match against del Potro

In 2017, Frances Tiafoe first faced his tennis idol, Juan Martín del Potro, at Acapulco, with del Potro winning the match.

2017: John Isner in Cincinnati Semifinals

In 2017, John Isner reached the semifinals in Cincinnati. Tiafoe reached the semifinals for only the second time in his career at a Masters level.

2017: Sam Querrey at Wimbledon

In 2017, Sam Querrey had an achievement at Wimbledon. This is used to measure Frances Tiafoe's performance.

2018: Relationship with Ayan Broomfield

In 2018, Frances Tiafoe made known his relationship with tennis player Ayan Broomfield.

2018: First win over del Potro

In 2018, Frances Tiafoe picked up his first win over his idol, Juan Martín del Potro, at the Delray Beach Open, en route to his first career ATP title.

2018: Delray Beach Open Win

In 2018, Frances Tiafoe won his first ATP title at the Delray Beach Open, making him the youngest American man to win an ATP Tour tournament since 2002.

2018: Improved serve

In 2018, after winning the Delray Beach Open, Frances Tiafoe credited an improved serve for his better play in the tournament.

2018: Zack Evenden helped coach

Shortly before Frances Tiafoe won his first ATP title in 2018, his friend Zack Evenden started to help coach him.

February 11, 2019: Career High Ranking

On February 11, 2019, Frances Tiafoe reached a career-high ranking of world No. 29 as a result of his performance at the Australian Open.

2019: Evenden took over as primary coach

Before the start of the 2019 season, Zack Evenden took over as Frances Tiafoe's primary coach.

2019: Loss of Quarterfinal Points

In 2019, Frances Tiafoe lost his quarterfinal points from the previous year's Australian Open.

2019: Australian Open Quarterfinals

In 2019, Frances Tiafoe reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

2019: 2019 Season

In 2019, Tiafoe faced challenges building on his early success at the Australian Open. He qualified for the Next Generation ATP Finals, advancing to the knockout rounds before being defeated by Alex de Minaur. He finished the season ranked No. 47 in the world.

2020: Wayne Ferreira hired

During the 2020 season, Frances Tiafoe hired former top-10 player Wayne Ferreira as an additional coach.

2020: Australian Open First Round Loss

In 2020, Frances Tiafoe dropped out of the top 50 after losing in the first round of the Australian Open to Daniil Medvedev.

2020: Positive COVID-19 test

In 2020, Frances Tiafoe tested positive for COVID-19 and did not play in the World TeamTennis season.

2020: Olympics held

In 2020, the Olympics were held.

July 2021: Parted ways with Zack Evenden

In July 2021, Frances Tiafoe and Zack Evenden mutually agreed to part ways, leading to Wayne Ferreira becoming Tiafoe's primary coach.

November 1, 2021: Career-High Doubles Ranking

On November 1, 2021, Frances Tiafoe achieved a career-high ranking of No. 160 in doubles.

2021: Cameron Norrie won Indian Wells

In 2021, Cameron Norrie won the Indian Wells tournament. Tiafoe later defeated Norrie during the 2023 Indian Wells tournament.

2021: Wimbledon and Olympics

In 2021, Frances Tiafoe defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, and reached the quarterfinals at the Queen's Club Championships. He also reached the third round at Wimbledon. At the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), Tiafoe lost to Tsitsipas in the second round.

May 2, 2022: Reached top 25 in rankings

On May 2, 2022, Frances Tiafoe's performance at the Portugal Open, where he reached the final, propelled him into the top 25 in world rankings.

2022: Honored at Maryland Terrapins Football game

After Frances Tiafoe defeated Rafael Nadal and reached the semifinals of the US Open in 2022, he attended a Maryland Terrapins Football game where he was honored for his accomplishments.

2022: US Open Semifinals

In 2022, Frances Tiafoe reached the semifinals of the US Open, marking his first time reaching the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.

2022: Upset of Andrey Rublev

In 2022, Tiafoe upset Andrey Rublev in Washington, marking his first top 10 win of the season and his first since 2022.

April 10, 2023: Moved to World No. 11

On April 10, 2023, Frances Tiafoe moved to world No. 11 after winning the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.

June 19, 2023: Career High Ranking

On June 19, 2023, Frances Tiafoe reached his career-high singles ranking of world No. 10, becoming the first Sierra Leonean American man to achieve this milestone in the ATP rankings.

December 2023: Reunited with Diego Moyano

In December 2023, Frances Tiafoe parted ways with Wayne Ferreira and reunited with his former USTA coach, Diego Moyano.

2023: NBA Celebrity All-Star Game

In 2023, Frances Tiafoe played in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game.

2023: Second and Third ATP Titles

In 2023, Frances Tiafoe secured his second ATP title at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston on clay, and his third title on grass in Stuttgart.