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Prince George's County officials will be welcoming Tiafoe back in a celebration at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park on Friday, Sept. 16 at 3 p.m., announced County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Tiafoe's story is that of a fairytale. He grew up on the court, but in a bit of a unique way. Tiafoe's father, a Sierra Leone immigrant, worked as the head of maintenance at a tennis center, with the center offering a spare office space for him and his family to live in during his employment.
Tiafoe began picking up the sport, and his raw talent was quickly noticed. The elite star began training and competing, rising to the top of the ranks in a few short years.
In 2022, Tiafoe made it to the semi-finals in the US Open tournament at Arthur Ashe Stadium, marking the furthest an American has made it in Men's singles since Andy Roddick in 2006.
Tiafoe was also the first black American man to make it to the semi finals since Arthur Ashe decades ago.
Tiafoe battled Spain's Carlos Alcaraz for over four hours in the intense match, which came to a heartbreaking end with Alcaraz clinching the win. Alcaraz later went on to win the tournament against Casper Ruud.
In a tear-jerking post match interview, Tiafoe apologized to fans for losing the tournament, promising to come back and win the US Open in the future.
The welcome back party has reached capacity for in person attendance and can will be live-streamed for viewers.
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