ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Prince George's County native and rising tennis star Frances Tiafoe continued his victory lap Thursday with a visit to the Maryland State House to meet newly inaugurated Governor Wes Moore.
Both Moore and Tiafoe recently made historic strides in their own respects.
Tiafoe gained fame through a Cinderella story-like run to the U.S. Open semifinals in 2022. He became the first American man to make it to the semifinals since 2006, and the first Black American to make it to the semifinals since 1972. He also defeated the No. 2 ranked player in the world -- Rafael Nadal, according to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
While, just last week on Jan. 18, Moore became the first African American to be sworn in as the governor of Maryland.
Moore welcomed Tiafoe and his family to the State House as he praise the athlete for his accomplishments on and off the court.
Tennis star Frances Tiafoe meets Maryland Gov. Wes Moore
“It’s an honor to meet Prince George’s County’s own Frances Tiafoe, and congratulate him on all his accomplishments on and off the court,” Gov. Moore said. “His hard work and dedication is an inspiration for all Marylanders. On behalf of our entire administration, we wish him luck as he continues to change the way the world sees the game of tennis, one match at a time.”
Tiafoe, who learned the game at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park where his dad worked as the head of maintenance, was presented with an award. Maryland Senate and House of Delegates awarded him with the citation during the visit.