17-year-old Frances Tiafoe turning heads as rising star for U.S. tennis

Is 17-year-old Frances Tiafoe the future of American men's tennis? For the time being, the answer is "yes."

An American man last won a Grand Slam singles title in 2003, when Andy Roddick was champion at the U.S. Open. At the time, Tiafoe was a 5-year-old kid who had begun playing tennis in College Park, Md., at a club where his dad worked as a custodian.

Tiafoe recently won the USTA's wild card for the French Open, which will be his first Grand Slam appearance. He accumulated the most points at a series of lower-level Challenger events on the USTA Pro Circuit to earn a spot in the French Open, which begins May 23.

"I'm speechless," Tiafoe said two weeks ago on the USTA livestream, when his wild card was unofficial. Tiafoe becomes the youngest American man to play in the main draw at Roland Garros (17 yrs., 3 months) since Michael Chang in 1989.

"It's going to be a great experience. Clay… is my favorite surface," he said in a phone interview with USA Today Sports last week. "I'm playing the main draw of a Grand Slam at 17 years old. I did not have that on my schedule going into the year. [Laughs.] This is the start of the next chapter."

Tiafoe began 2015 ranked No. 1,136 in the world, but has had a meteoric rise, arriving at a career-high No. 293 this week, making him the youngest player inside the Top 300. Enacting a more aggressive game plan helped him win his first Futures title, an entry-level event in March.

"I'm taking more risks and playing with more confidence and making things happen on my own," Tiafoe said. "I want to take initiative; I know my game and I know what I need to do to win."

Last month Tiafoe announced he was turning pro (thus making him ineligible for college scholarships), signing with Roc Nation Sports, an off-shoot of Jay Z's entertainment management company. He's the first tennis player to do so.

His agent, Wajid Syed, explained a switch from coach Misha Kouznetsov at the Junior Tennis Champion Center in College Park to working with the USTA's player development team.

"The USTA has been really helpful from a coaching standpoint," Syed said. "The biggest thing right now is Frances' development. The USTA has been instrumental in supporting him and it shows the strong convictions they have in helping him along."

But is Frances the next Roddick? Pete Sampras? Andre Agassi?

"I don't think about it too much," Tiafoe responded. "I've heard that a decent amount and I'm just worried about getting better. If you stop working hard, that's when things get to your head. This is only the beginning. I'm still on the come up right now. I'm trying to … stay humble and keep doing what I do."

"In this country, the expectation isn't to be No. 25 in the world," explained Brad Gilbert, a former coach who works as a TV analyst. "It's been a while since an American has made a major dent at a Grand Slam, but the most important thing in tennis is that you control what's going inside the court. You have to ignore what's going on around you, what annoys you. (Frances) has to figure that out. He has a great base to work with."

That base comes from Tiafoe's "world-class speed," as Gilbert puts it. His game is anchored in his feet and excels in his forehand, a weapon that continues to develop.

There's more to the Tiafoe package than just sprinting ability, however.

"He's a great competitor. What I mean by that is that he really comes through in crunch time," explained Jay Berger, the head of men's tennis for the USTA. "He comes through in the tough times. He relishes it. He plays great defense and is a great athlete. He has extremely fast hands. He has great intangibles and can be in unusual situations and come through with some great shots."

Last year in Paris, as the top seed in the boys' junior event, Tiafoe found himself in an unusual situation for a 16-year-old kid: He served as a hitting partner for nine-time Roland Garros champion, Rafael Nadal.

"They might as well name (the tournament) after Rafa," Tiafoe joked. Then, he turned serious: "I was hitting with the King of Clay. He gives his all on every point. I tried to match his intensity. It was a different-level type of stuff. It motivated me a lot."

And if he draws Nadal in his Grand Slam debut match?

"I'm going to go and try my best," Tiafoe said, not missing a beat. "There's no easy matches at a Grand Slam. I'm going to try my hardest. If I face Nadal, you have to stay in the moment. I'll just go out there and play the best I can."