PARIS — When Frances Tiafoe steps on Court 5 at the French Open for his Grand Slam main-draw debut Monday, he'll be the first 17-year-old American man to play in the clay-court tournament since 1989, when a couple of guys named Pete Sampras and Michael Chang did it.
Chang beat Sampras in the second round that year, then went on to become the youngest champion in Roland Garros history.
Tiafoe, who turned pro last month and is represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, earned a wild-card entry from the U.S. Tennis Association by finishing with the best results at three events played on green clay on the Challenger tour.