COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Frances Tiafoe's coaches and young friends in College Park are roaring about his victory at the U.S. Open against one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Tiafoe is now the face of a new generation of American tennis champions, the youngest American man to advance to the quarterfinals since 2005.
"Something to tell the kids -- yeah, I beat Rafi," Tiafoe told reporters Monday night, with characteristic modesty.
At the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, where his dad once managed the maintenance crew, and Tiafoe started playing at age five, his old coach can't stop smiling.
"I was so proud of him," said Komi "Oliver" Akli, the senior director of player development. "He's ready for everybody!"
Tiafoe's face gazes down from the JTCC wall of champions. The center has framed and posted The New York Times cover stories heralding his rise. But for the up and coming young players, Tiafoe's not just an image on the TV screen -- he's the guy who is always stopping by to play, including visit the week before his historic U.S. Open win.
"It's very hard to take Frances seriously, even though he's so serious on the court," 18-year-old Ameera Malik said, laughing herself. "You never really see Frances down or mad or anything. So when I'm down, he always cracks a smile or jokes with me, plays with me, or throws a piece of paper or something like that."
Tiafoe's discipline is rooted in ambition for himself and his parents, who were immigrants from Sierra Leone. His father came to the U.S. in 1993, and his mother in 1996, fleeing the civil war.
"Mama was working two jobs nursing, and papa was working 24/7," Tiafoe said.
Constant Tiafoe, Frances' father, helped build JTCC and managers invited him to stay on as a custodian after it was finished. Akli said he began coaching Tiafoe at five and by age 12, recognized he was something special.
Now, Tiafoe is energizing the next generation.
"It's nice to see someone who came up from the same place as me do something so incredible," 16-year-old Cyrus Majoob said.
"I think that's the most inspirational part about him really," 17-year-old Stefan Regali added. "He came from practically nothing. And now he's one of the top players in the world."
Akli says Tiafoe already beat his next opponent, Andrey Rublev. If he makes the final, Akli will be at the stadium to watch him compete. He's convinced he could be the next Nadal.