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Tiafoe: I Want Fans To Feel It


Frances Tiafoe played crowd-pleasing tennis in his inspired run to the Australian Open quarterfinals.

The 21-year-old Tiafoe launches his Delray Beach title defense this week with two primary aims: keep winning and try to make tennis a more fan-friendly sport.

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Tiafoe, who opens against British qualifier Dan Evans tonight, told Delray Beach corresponded and Tennis Now colleague Blair Henley he wants fans to have fun and connect with players.



"By showing your personality (you can draw fans in)," Tiafoe told Blair. "Obviously, however way you want to do it whether it's in the media and being very outspoken or celebrations or showing energy during the match and positive emotions and stuff like that, getting more crowds into it.

"I want fans to really feel the players more. I want people that normally gravitate toward basketball and football to gravitate toward tennis."

So what did Tiafoe learn from his straight-sets loss to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open quarterfinals?

The world No. 29 says the king of clay's aggression was impressive.

"It's an honor to share the court with him, hopefully we can do it many more times," Tiafoe said. "He broke me early in all the sets. There's nothing he did that really surprised me. I was watching him for so many years. I knew the intensity he was going to bring. But probably being more aggressive. At times, he's definitely very aggressive."

How does Tiafoe aim to avoid a letdown after his major Melbourne breakthrough? 

"Just keep going," Tiafoe said. "You just want more and more and more. Obviously, you can't get satisfied. Because, obviously, you want to get to the top of the game, one day, right? So keep going."

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

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