Who is Frances Tiafoe's new coach David Witt? All you need to know about the duo's partnership
Frances Tiafoe has worked with several coaches throughout his career, each contributing to his success over the years. Recently, he signed up with former American tennis player David Witt, who previously coached Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula.
Frances Tiafoe's coach David Witt's playing career
David Witt, 51, enjoyed a successful junior career, having won the USTA Boys' 16s Clay, Hard, and National Championships. He was the USTA's top-ranked U16 player in 1989 and reached the US Open Junior Boys Singles semifinals in 1991.
His partnership with Brian MacPhie in doubles secured a silver finish at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, marking his first significant podium on the main tour. Witt's resume includes two challenger-level titles: the Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger in 1997 and another in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1992.
He retired from professional tennis in 2005 but had already been working as a hitting partner for the Williams sisters since 2002.
From Jessica Pegula to Frances Tiafoe: David Witt's coaching history
In 2002, David Witt was approached by the Williams sisters as a hitting partner for the Bausch & Lomb Championships, where the tennis icons were slated to participate. In 2007, he joined them again as a hitting partner at the Family Circle Cup. Since then, he has developed a close coaching relationship, particularly with Venus Williams.
Witt coached Jessica Pegula from 2019 to 2024. Under his tutelage, the latter bagged significant wins, including the WTA 1000 title and WTA Final appearances in singles and doubles. However, in January 2024, Pegula parted ways with her long-time coach Witt following her second-round exit at the Australian Open.
"I’ve just turned 30 so I feel like I’m getting to that point where I am maybe more near to the ending of my career phase so I just kind of needed to make some tough decisions to try something different," she said, while explaining the reason behind calling it quits with David Witt (via Eurosport).
Witt has since transitioned to coaching Frances Tiafoe, currently ranked No. 10 in singles and competing at the Cincinnati Open. Tiafoe's first match with his new coach was at the 2024 Atlanta Open, where he defeated Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round.
Frances Tiafoe called up David Witt after his loss against Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon 2024
Tiafoe bowed out of Wimbledon in the third round, falling in straight sets to Olympic silver medalist Carlos Alcaraz. The 26-year-old American, then without a coach, brought on fellow free agent David Witt to begin their partnership.
"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," Tiafoe told the media.
Witt's coaching trajectory was also a deciding factor for Tiafoe.
"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," Tiafoe added.
Under Witt's guidance, Frances Tiafoe will face Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Cincinnati Open on August 17.