Apart from their mutual love of tennis, Frances Tiafoe and Ayan Broomfield, have a unique love story that began when the two were young tennis players. According to reports, Frances Tiafoe and Ayan Broomfield began dating around 2014. However, the pair officially declared their relationship in 2018. Since then, fans have adored their love for each other. Most recently, she opened up about her long-term relationship with Frances.
Ayan Broomfield displays her love and support for Tiafoe through various social media posts as well as by frequently appearing in the stands supporting her boyfriend during several matches. She was recently seen in the Indian Wells Open tennis tournament supporting Frances Tiafoe, as he now intends to achieve his first Grand Slam. During an interview conducted there in the city, she opened up about how the two first connected during their early days in the career.
Ayan Broomfield’s first meeting with Frances Tiafoe
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Sharing an association since a decade, the pair first met while they were young tennis players. Tiafoe, who had just become a professional, was a year away from ranking among the top 100 tennis players in the world at the moment. Whereas Ayan Broomfield was competing professionally in the meantime, placing 467th in the world in the women’s doubles rankings. However, forged through a mutual friend’s connection, they met each other for the first time.
via Imago
Image credit- Imago
“We both played junior tennis at a very high level. I’m from Canada, so I was playing for my country, Frances was playing for the States,” said Ayan during an interview with Essence. Describing how the two met, she continued, “And then one of our mutual friends was like, ‘Well, you guys actually would be really good friends.’ So we started talking then and became best friends for a bit.”
A connection based on a shared passion for tennis developed into something more meaningful and profound. “So we started talking then and became best friends for a bit. It’s been eight, nine years now. It’s been a journey.” Tiafoe and Broomfield found comfort and support in each other’s company as they handled the ups and downs of their individual careers.
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Broomfield’s unrelenting support for Tiafoe
During their decade-long relationship, Ayan Broomfield has seen Tiafoe advance through the ranks when he peaked at No. 10. His greatest moment to date occurred in what some may refer to as an “upset” victory at the 2022 U.S. Open over then-No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal. In the end, Tiafoe advanced to the semifinals, making history as the first black player to do so in the competition since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Recalling this, Broomfield said during the interview, “Overnight it was such a huge, huge drastic change.”
She also underlined the importance of having someone close to navigate through such big challenges in life. She feels relieved that she could help Tiafoe through that time. “I think it helped that we were so close because it was a lot. It was a lot very quickly, and we were not expecting it,” Broomfield said.
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Tiafoe and Broomfield are an inspirational example of a love that survives the strains of competition as they continue to pursue their goals in the world of professional tennis. “Right now, the goal is to get Frances to be a Grand Slam champion,” proudly sumps up Ayan.
