As the American hard-court season begins, attention turns to US tennis stars. These players often excel under the spotlight cast by the sport’s two biggest names. Both Serena and Venus Williams have made an enormous contribution to put America on the maps of the tennis world. They are the source of inspiration for thousands of aspiring tennis players. Even some of the current players, like Frances Tiafoe, have time and again revealed how these two sisters have helped him to consider building a career in the racquet sport.
During an interaction with the first-ever USTA Foundation Frances Tiafoe Fund Grand recipients, Tiafoe revealed how the Williams sisters inspired him to become a pro. He said, “I think, I mean I’m watching Grand Slam finals and see the Williams sisters playing against each other you know. I’m like ‘Wow how crazy would that be you know to be playing Wimbledon, playing the US Open.”
He then touched upon how the two come from a super humble background and then became two of the biggest stars in the racquet sport. This was something really motivational for young Tiafoe. He added, “I mean for me I kind of want to emulate that in my way. I don’t think I am where I am without those two (Williams sisters).” However, this isn’t the first time that he’s portraying his admiration for the Williams sisters.
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In 2022 Tiafoe became the first African-American to advance to the SF of a men’s tournament at the US Open since Arthur Ashe. He time and again spoke about the role of the Williams sisters in his career. He even paid tribute to Serena by wearing the ‘GOAT’ hoodie after beating Rafael Nadal in the R16.
Tiafoe said, “She’s definitely the reason why I think I can do the things that I’m doing.” After seeing the sisters rule the tennis world he used to tell his dad that, “Two people who look like me and I can go and do that, it’s unbelievable.” According to him, Serena is on a “different stratosphere“. Even his girlfriend is a huge fan of her.
Tiafoe’s girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, portrays her admiration for Serena
Tiafoe’s admiration for the Williams sisters is well known now, but his girlfriend also once gave a tribute to Serena’s attire choices by claiming that she has helped to shape up WTA players’ fashion. While speaking to Harper Bazaar during an interview in January 2024, Broomfield said,
“Serena Williams has had an enormous impact on women’s tennis fashion in my opinion, as she broke the glass ceiling with her iconic looks. She has always pushed the boundaries and I think that she has set the tone for the ‘tennis dress core’.”
Tiafoe is one of the very fewest lucky guys in the tennis world to get the chance to play with both of these sisters in a same team. For him, his bond with the Williams sisters is quite unique. Once he said, “I mean that they’re (Williams sisters) so iconic, you know. They’re like big sis to me now, both of them. I like having conversations with them.”
With Cincinnati Open knocking at the door, can Tiafoe break the jinx and become the first American man to lift the title after 18 years? Serena has won this title twice in her career. It’ll be interesting to see if he can draw some inspiration from her journey in this tournament.
