Catching Up With Tennis Star Frances Tiafoe — Fresh Off His Visit to The 2024 Dallas Open

After an exciting week for tennis fans in North Texas, the Dallas Open just wrapped up its third annual men’s ATP World Tour 250 series tournament at SMU’s Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex. No. 2 seed, American Tommy Paul, came out on top, defeating fellow American Marcos Giron for the Dallas title. A favorite to win the tournament, top seed Frances Tiafoe fell to Giron in the quarterfinal — a shocking upset.

The Dallas Open just keeps getting bigger and bigger since it returned to the city in 2022. Each indoor match, especially over the weekend for the semifinals and finals, was packed. Thankfully, the Open is leveling up to the ATP 500 series in 2025 — and moving to a larger venue, Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.

Although Tiafoe didn’t win, the 26-year-old player from Maryland still seemed to enjoy himself in Dallas. On Tuesday, he hosted a kids’ clinic — the first on-court activation for the Frances Tiafoe Fund. At just 4 years old, Tiafoe got his own start at Junior Tennis Champions Center after his parents emigrated from Sierra Leone.

“I am honored to do this clinic and kick off my foundation,” Tiafoe tells PaperCity. “I think every kid needs to have that inspiration. Someone who they can relate to who has had success in the game — who also went through the same things that you did.”

Just before he left to continue the rest of the ATP tour (his next stop is the Delray Beach Open), we caught up with Tiafoe about his time in Dallas and what he’s most excited about for the year.

Coming back to Dallas, what were you most excited about?

I love Dallas. I have a lot of friends here. Coming to the Dallas Open is always a lot of fun. It is a very well-run tournament and the food here is great. I’ve always enjoyed the people. They are very nice and the fans that come to watch us play are fantastic. Overall, it’s just a great place to come play tennis, have some great food, and enjoy the week. I got to see Dirk [Nowitzki] and he’s such a great guy.

How did you prepare for this tournament (specifically being the top seed)? Do you feel more or less pressure in that position?

I always push myself to be the best I can be. I don’t feel pressure to be ranked high or when I am a top seed. It’s what I work for. All of us on the Tour work to win and be champions. I work on my game every day and prepare for these moments.

How was the kids’ clinic on Tuesday and why do you think it’s important to support junior tennis players?

It’s a big deal to me. The NJTL [National Junior Tennis and Learning Network] is my life. I wouldn’t be here today without it. It means a lot for me to be able to pay it forward and be here, and hopefully do these clinics all around the country. It’s a huge honor for me. I’m so passionate about this and I’m super excited.

What is your advice to younger players looking up to you in the U.S.?

I tell kids all the time to chase their dreams and make them a reality. Whether it is playing the game of tennis or just getting good grades in school. I work hard at my game and I hope kids see that and apply the same effort to their interests. If you work hard you can accomplish anything.

What are you most excited about for this upcoming year on Tour?

I just focus on becoming a better player every day. Everything else will take care of itself. I’m looking forward to the competition this year and raising my game even further. I’m grateful for the fans. I’m also excited about my foundation and getting that going. The game has given so much to me and I want to impact young people.