Ahead of the US Open, the American star sits down with Boardroom to discuss an amazing moment in tennis, interests in fashion & business, and how he always reps the DMV.
Tennis is trendy right now.
Celebrities want to be associated with it. Zendaya starred in a steamy tennis-centric movie earlier this year in Challengers that made more than $80 million. Netflix’s Break Point has popularized the sport even further.
When asked if he thinks he’s a reason for tennis’ en vogue status, American star Frances Tiafoe said he humbly believes so.
“I feel like a lot more people want to be a part of it, want to see it, want to watch it, want to play it,” the 26-year-old DMV native told Boardroom ahead of the 2024 US Open. “I feel it’s in a great spot.”
Tiafoe radiates positive energy wherever he goes, whether IRL or to his 774,000 Instagram followers. After making the DC Open final last month, he reached the final again at the ATP Masters in Cincinnati, falling to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. In the post-match press conference, Big Foe reverentially called Sinner “a motherfucker” with a smile, something few players without the respect and admiration Tiafoe’s earned since turning pro in 2015 could get away with.
One of just three players to take Carlos Alcaraz to a fifth set all season, Tiafoe entered this week’s US Open with as much momentum as he’s had all year. His first-round win Monday was part of an all-time single-day tournament attendance record, with 74,641 fans hitting the grounds at Flushing Meadows.
Tiafoe is looking to improve his current 20th position in the ATP rankings after reaching as high as 10th last season. Tiafoe is one of 10 young Americans — five men and five women — ranked in the top 20 of their respective tours. Of those 10, only Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins aren’t in their 20s.
“American Tennis is an unbelievable place,” Tiafoe said.
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.
Even as he’s traveling around the world competing in tournaments, Tiafoe always makes sure to stay true to his strong DMV roots, as evidenced by the Washington Commanders T-shirt he wore at the Cincinnati press conference and the Frances bobblehead the Wizards gave out to fans at a home game last season.
When he’s home, you can always see him at local sporting events and eateries, chatting with team owners and seeing what they’re trying to accomplish, not just with his beloved teams but also how they’re trying to build up the local community. And given American Ben Shelton and Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime are the only Black men other than Tiafoe in the top 20, he understands what he represents to fans both globally and locally.
“I also have my guys who have their ears to the ground to tell me about new Black-owned restaurants, Black-owned art, Black-owned everything,” Tiafoe said. “So, the culture side of it is also important too. I’m really engulfed in DC, Maryland, the whole thing.”
Tiafoe is a man of many interests, including fashion, business, and investing. The New York Times even wrote an article on his on-court style last year, earning the seal of approval from the legendary Anna Wintour, who called his 2023 Australian Open look “full of spirit.” Amidst this year’s US Open, Tiafoe is auctioning off a custom pair of kicks designed in collaboration with SURGEON to support the USTA Foundation Incorporated’s Frances Tiafoe Fund.
During Boardroom’s conversation with him in DC, Tiafoe was wearing a Sabrina Ionescu jersey, highlighting his appreciation of and devotion to women’s sports. He said he loved where women’s sports were going, especially basketball, and that Ionescu — who shares an agent with Tiafoe at WME — is one of his favorite athletes.
“I’m still a little annoyed with her. She don’t give me the shoes,” Tiafoe playfully said. “She says I wear too many people’s jerseys.”
Tiafoe said he was talking with the Washington Spirit to see how he can collaborate with the NWSL club, as he is interested in the growth of women’s soccer in America and how he can get involved. And while he hasn’t met Trinity Rodman yet, he’s expressed great interest in it.
“She’s got more juice in the city than I do, I think,” Tiafoe said.
With a wide array of endorsement deals, including Nike, Grey Goose, Cadillac, La Roche Posay, Evian, Sonder, and Stella Artois, Tiafoe has plenty of juice in his own right. Between his endorsements and investments, Tiafoe’s common denominator is always authenticity and something he’d actually want to take part in.
“If you really believe in the brand, you use it yourself,” he said. “It’s easy to then promote it, want to be a part of it, want to see it grow, and want to actually get in bed with the company. The authenticity makes it easier to build and create ideas and really see long term.”
To balance his many varied interests, whether that’s tennis, fashion events, business ideas, sports, or real estate, Tiafoe has the help of a team led by his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, and close friends and family to prioritize what’s important. And while he’s indeed focused on a deep US Open run over the next week, Tiafoe has hands in so many ventures at the young age of 26 that he’s well-positioned to remain relevant and resonant long after his playing days are over.
When asked about what the media should better focus on when it comes to the trendy sport of tennis, Tiafoe said that it’s easier to get behind players when you know and concentrate on their stories. And, as tennis remains all the rage worldwide, Frances Tiafoe appears determined to ensure tennis continues its surging momentum.
