"I want to have that respect that Serena had" - Tiafoe on his career goals
ATP & WTA
Serena Williams was one of the most influential tennis players in the history of the sport and Frances Tiafoe wants to follow in her footsteps.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion retired at this year's US Open, and her greatness was celebrated throughout the event. Tiafoe is one of the players who openly admires Williams.
Recently, the ATP player spoke about the American legend. Tiafoe revealed that Serena and her sister Venus were an inspiration. Thanks to them, he believed he could succeed as a tennis player.
"Serena means the world to me and many other people. A true icon, her and her sister. She’s definitely the reason why I believed that I can do this in the tennis world."
Now that he has made it and is one of the best players on the ATP Tour, Tiafoe wants to take it another step further. He wants to have the same respect that Williams had on the tennis courts.
"Being an African-American, I want to have that respect that Serena had. When I finish my career, if a lot of people who look like me are playing the game of tennis, then I’ll feel like I definitely won. That’s definitely my main goal."
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Tiafoe saw Serena Williams retire at this year's US Open, and only a few days later, he witnessed another retirement of a legend. This time, he was standing on the opposite side of the court.
Tiafoe and Jack Sock overcame Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Swiss Maestro's last match. The American player admitted that he had a bittersweet feeling after beating the legend in his last match.
"It was an unbelievable experience to play Roger in his last match. A bittersweet feeling. Win, loss — it’s irrelevant. Just to see him take it all in, his whole career, [there were] so many different emotions."
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