Yahoo News Who Sits in Frances Tiafoe's Player's Box?
As Frances Tiafoe looks to return to the U.S. Open semifinals, the crowds at Arthur Ashe Stadium will definitely be cheering him on.
“New York—it’s different,” Tiafoe told T&C in 2022. “Night on Ashe is so special, I think words can’t describe what playing night on Ashe means to me. It’s the biggest court in tennis, the atmosphere is wild, and it’s for people like me. I really take that in.”
In particular, his family and his team will be there supporting him, sitting in his player's box. As Tiafoe prepares to play one of his biggest night matches of his career, here's who's who in Tiafoe's player's box.
His coach, David Witt
Witt, Venus Williams's former coach, began coaching Tiafoe this summer. “He’s the man,” Tiafoe said of Witt in July. “I called him right after I played at Wimbledon and I was like, ‘bro, you wanna do something? You’re a free agent right now and so am I. So let’s do something; let’s try to have a good partnership. Obviously he did really well with Venus [Williams] and Jess [Pegula]; some unbelievable years with [them]. I was trying to find a coach for a little bit and it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be. He’s super chill and so am I. So I was like, ‘let’s do it.’ So it worked out well. So far he’s got one win with me, so it’s good.”
His parents, Alphina and Frances Tiafoe, Sr.
Tiafoe's parents are both immigrants from Sierra Leone who fled the civil war there in the 90s. When they arrived in the U.S., his father got a job as a construction worker building the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland. He was then hired as the on-site custodian, and given a small office to live in at the JTCC—and he brought his twin boys along.
“My dad literally helped build the place,” Tiafoe tells T&C, “He asked the CEO of [JTCC], ‘Can I have my twins come here to be in a better place for school?’ In the beginning it was good for us to be there, to be in a good environment for school and around different kids while he's working. Then, obviously, we took in tennis, being around it so much.”
His girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield
Broomfield, a former college tennis player, began dating Tiafoe in 2015. She's always cheering for him in his box, and the camera has caught her during this U.S. Open:
This reaction from Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield is so good pic.twitter.com/ct97DYxE6P
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) August 30, 2024
His twin brother, Franklin Tiafoe
Tiafoe's twin brother, Franklin, is a former tennis player, who now works as a coach. He's often supporting his brother at matches.
His fitness coach, T.C. Costello
Costello met Tiafoe at JTCC, where he is the Senior Director of Fitness. Costello now works as his strength and conditioning coach. Is there a "magic drill" part of Tiafoe's workout routine? No, Costello told the Washington Post, it's just "doing everything with 100 percent engagement, whether it’s the warm-up, whether it’s the cool-down, whether it’s injury prevention work, small exercises to keep the shoulder healthy, doing that with 100 percent engagement, and doing it consistently."
His friend and hitting partner, Jordi Arconada
Arconada, another professional tennis player, works with Tiafoe and his team, and sits in his box. Here's a snap Arconada posted of Tiafoe's team from earlier this summer:
His physical therapist, Bret Waltz
Waltz has been with Tiafoe for some time now. His Instagram describes him as "Concierge Physical Therapist, Strength and Conditioning Coach."
Walz is on the right in the above Instagram.
His agent, Jill Smoller
Smoller, whose most famous client is Serena Williams, began representing Tiafoe in April 2022, and is often in her box. (Smoller is also a close friend of Meghan Markle, and is on her team at WME.)
His childhood friend, Hailey Baptiste
During the round of 16, Hailey Baptiste, another tennis player, was pictured in his box. Baptise, like Tiafoe, is from the Washington, D.C. area, and they trained together at the JTCC. Tiafoe calls her his "little sis."
Kenny Jones
Another person on Tiafoe's team is Jones, who works as his security. He sometimes sits in the box, but not usually.
Jack Paul McClinton III
Former basketball player McClinton is also part of Tiafoe's team, though it's unclear what his specific role is. However, he is regularly seated in his box.
Celebrity guest
Sometimes, a famous face will appear in Tiafoe's box, like Boris Kodjoe, who was there this past weekend at the Open.
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