"I couldn't pay for babysitting" - Frances Tiafoe's father emotionally details American's humble upbringing as a son of construction worker
Frances Tiafoe's father, Constant Tiafoe recently reflected on the challenges of raising the American tennis star alongside his twin brother, Franklin. Tiafoe Sr. revealed that their circumstances were so difficult at times that he couldn’t even afford babysitting for his sons.
For those unaware, Tiafoe's parents began their journey to the U.S. in the 1990s when Sierra Leone was ravaged by a brutal civil war. While his father shifted to the States in 1993, his mother, Alphina Kamara, came three years later.
Yonex, the brand partner of the World No. 18, recently interviewed him and his family. During the conversation, his father reflected on their remarkable yet challenging journey, revealing that he once worked as a construction worker at a tennis academy.
"I said OK, if I come here maybe it'll be better than back there... I worked in construction to build a tennis academy. I didn't know anything about tennis. After we finished, then they gave me a job," he said (0:29 onwards).
Constant shared that he was later given a maintenance job at the tennis academy. Unable to afford childcare, he brought his kids along, naturally exposing them to tennis.
"I was like a maintenance guy. When I started working at the job, it was a big problem because I couldn’t pay for babysitting so I had to bring the kids to work. It was an automatic thing, they just have to play tennis because that's all you see, so you got to be good at it," he added.
As their father recounted in the video, Frances and his brother Franklin impressed the parents of their fellow trainees with their talent.
"Believe it or not, the parents of other kids, they came to me and said, Listen, your son is playing some serious tennis," he said.
"It's far beyond ordinary right now what Frances Tiafoe is doing": Frances Tiafoe Sr
Constant Tiafoe later reflected on his son's relentless wall practice. By age 9, Frances had become so skilled that he defeated his father, leading him to stop playing against him.
"He was constantly hitting the ball against the wall. While the other kids play around, he was just hitting the ball against the wall all the time. I pretty much played him when he was 9. And I lost. So from that point on, I decided to leave him alone. Because his level was not for me anymore," he said (at 1:55) in the same interview.
Tiafoe Sr. later emphasized the importance of hard work in shaping one’s destiny.
"If somebody say "your destiny is going to be this", that doesn't mean that you get to sit down and automatically wait until the time comes. You got to work to that." (at 3:28).
"For us the family, I mean tennis has been a blessing," he added ( at 3:48).
Moreover, the 26-year-old's father believes that what his son is currently achieving is truly extraordinary.
"It's far beyond ordinary right now what Frances is doing," he said (at 4:40).
Frances Tiafoe has previously acknowledged that his father has played a pivotal role in shaping his life.
The North American hardcourt swing was a standout for Tiafoe this season. While he couldn't capture a title, he reached the quarterfinals at the Atlanta Open, followed by a semifinal run at the Citi Open. The World No. 18 then advanced to the final of the Cincinnati Open, where he fell to Jannik Sinner. Tiafoe also showed impressive form at the US Open, reaching the semifinals before losing to compatriot Taylor Fritz in a grueling five-setter.
The American last competed at the Paris Masters, facing a first-round exit.