#3 He learned by watching others
Tiafoe, whose family were not very well off, could not afford training himself, so as a young boy watched players on court and later imitated them. In an interview with the Washington Post, it was revealed that coaches already working with elite players already on court would watch the young Tiafoe practising and let him be.
His coach, Misha Kouznetsov, has worked with the young player since he was eight years old, and revealed that Frances just ‘wanted to play’ but did not necessarily have the means. After helping him then, Kouznetsov bought the nine-year-old Tiafoe a sports shirt, basic equipment, and drove the youngster down to Washington, where he won his first tournament.
Tiafoe often lived with Kouznetsov and his partner, and learned more by watching the Tennis Channel on repeat and analysing games.
Now, he is still with Kouznetsov – and with sponsorships coming in, no doubt will find the burden eased significantly.
