A tennis player is made with skill, determination, and most importantly, a mentor who shows the path to success. Frances Tiafoe is currently posing a tough challenge against the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. The American ATP star had to go through a fair share of ups and downs in the past and has currently isolated himself, paving his way without a coach. While it is a big moment for him, there’s one man who could claim the credit for all of this.

Misha Kouznetsov met Frances Tiafoe at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) and right at the moment, he saw something special in him. The coach allowed young Tiafoe to stay with him and his girlfriend before tournaments and also crucial expenses like his entry fees. He also went across the boundaries of tennis by helping the enthusiast with his studies when he struggled with school one summer.

He also knew the right way to motivate the tennis kid. Every time Frances Tiafoe managed to hit a victory, Kouznetsov treated him with an ice cream and also made him run laps if he didn’t try hard enough. Kouznetsov came to the U.S. from Moscow at 15, with just $60 in his pocket and a dream to create a career in tennis from scratch. He played at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, but soon came to a conclusion that he was “too short” to be a top player.

“Frances could be lazy during practice,” Kouznetsov said in an interview. He also mentioned how Tiafoe performed below average during the regular training drills. “You’d see 30 kids running, and Frances would be the last one, walking.” JTCC coach Oliver Akli remembers a junior tournament where Tiafoe broke his racquet string and had a hole in his shoe. “His foot was touching the ground, but he won that match,” Akli revealed as he gained confidence in the American tennis star.

Kouznetsov’s firm belief in Tiafoe and support pushed Tiafoe to be the strong force that he is today. “Two hungry guys, and poor. I came [to the US] with $60. That’s why the whole Frances-and-I thing worked out,” that’s how he sums up his early days with Frances Tiafoe.

Misha reveals what fueled him to go all in for Frances Tiafoe

When Misha Kouznetsov met Frances Tiafoe, he was nothing but an enthusiast with a dream. Although the American ATP star had a good game sense, he wasn’t financially privileged, and therefore the other kids used to laugh at him. Misha, his fatherly figure, once talked about how the mistreatment fueled him to fully back Tiafoe.

During the practice sessions, most of the trainees appeared in expensive gear while all Tiafoe would have was a pair of cargo shorts and a discarded racquet. “We’d be laughed at,” Misha said, narrating the terrible experience. However, they both decided not to be affected by it and therefore used the disrespect as armor. “It all fueled me,” Tiafoe’s childhood coach added.

There are several players who, even after attaining a notable position in the competitive scenes, do not forget the ones who were the building blocks. As Frances Tiafoe strives to make his way into the top 10, his childhood coach and surrogate father remains a shadow that would never fade away.