At 17, Frances Tiafoe, one of the most eagerly anticipated new arrivals for American tennis, has shown up on the doorstep of one of the sport’s biggest stages far ahead of schedule.
After starting the year ranked 1,145th, Tiafoe soared up the rankings in April, and now sits at a career-high of 292nd. The surge came from an incredible run at Challenger-level events held on green clay, as Tiafoe reeled off 12 victories in three weeks. His march was capped by a run to the final in Tallahassee, Fla., with which he clinched a wild card for the French Open, which begins May 24.