The USTA Foundation joined with former U.S. Men’s Clay Court Champion and current world No. 17 Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston for a youth tennis clinic. The event was an activation of the USTA Foundation’s Frances Tiafoe Fund, a philanthropic initiative launched in 2023 that aims to support the USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide group of more than 250 sports-based community organizations that use tennis as a tool to prepare young people from under-resourced communities for the challenges and opportunities of life.
During the clinic, Tiafoe met and rallied on court with students from the Houston Tennis Association (HTA), a NJTL chapter that works with the City of Houston Parks & Recreation Department to provide more than 6,000 young people with access to tennis, academic, and life skills programs at more than 40 facilities throughout the city. HTA is also the official beneficiary of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
As someone who grew up in the NJTL network, the mission of the USTA Foundation is personal to Tiafoe and pivotal to his tennis journey. He started playing the game at age four at the Junior Tennis Champions Center, a NJTL chapter where his father served as the head of maintenance after immigrating from Sierra Leone in 1996.
Following the on-court clinic, Tiafoe spoke to students about “Big Foe’s Big Four”—four core life lessons that Tiafoe learned through his journey in tennis and the NJTL network and wisdom he hopes to pass on to the next generation. “Big Foe’s Big Four” includes resiliency, dedication, community and authenticity.
“It’s a really special thing for me to be in Houston and to connect with these kids,” said Tiafoe. “It’s amazing to see the impact that the team at the Houston Tennis Association is making in the lives of young people on and off the tennis court. My NJTL experience shaped me into who I am today, and it’s an honor to work with the USTA Foundation and organizations like the HTA to help support the next generation.”
“Our goal is to help young people take the skills they learn on the court – such as problem-solving, adaptability, and discipline – and use them in their daily lives off the court,” said Emily Schaefer, Houston Tennis Association Executive Director. “Frances’ experience is an example to our students that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and we are grateful to him and the USTA Foundation for helping us provide opportunities to the young people of Houston through programs that can equip them with the tools they need to thrive in all areas of life.”
“Organizations like the Houston Tennis Association are vital in helping us make tennis more accessible to young people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to pick up a racquet,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “Thanks to their leadership and role models like Frances Tiafoe, more young people are able to use the lessons learned through tennis to achieve their dreams.”