At Indian Wells Tiafoe feels the vibes

INDIAN WELLS — Tennis is as much a battle against yourself as against the person across the net, a struggle to become a winner while trying to hit winners, to build belief maybe long after building a better backhand.

It’s a sport in which, because of the seeding system, the best prospects, the new kids, if you will, start off with the worst chances. An activity the late Jim Murray wrote in which the young are not pampered. They’re devoured.

Sure there are exceptions, such as Carlos Alcaraz, the Spaniard, who last summer at age 19 won a Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Open, but for most the climb is exhausting and perhaps unrewarding.

That’s why it was exciting to see (and in post-match comments) hear the delight in Francis Tiafoe on Wednesday after he beat a former champion Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in their quarterfinal of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

You probably know the back story. Tiafoe is the son of a laborer who moved from war-torn Sierra Leone to America where Frances was born and through connections on a project building a tennis complex near Baltimore, was able to get lessons for the boy.

Frances’ natural athletic ability came out quickly enough. Yet despite optimistic predictions from the tennis establishment both Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz, each now 25, would be on the world stage immediately. They needed time. They were normal.

They also turned out to live up to expectations, theirs as much as ours. Fritz, a Californian who virtually was born with a silver racquet in his (fore) hand — his mother Kathy May, was in the U.S. Open doubles quarterfinals — took this BNP event a year ago, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final.

That doesn’t mean his longtime friend and rival, Tiafoe, will take it this year. Not with the Russian, Medvedev, a winner Wednesday after whining Tuesday about the speed of the courts at Indian Wells — “freaking slow” — as his next opponent.

Still, after beating Norrie, Tiafoe acted as a man unburdened. And as we have learned, you’re better when you’re not feeling the pressure. And when you are feeling relaxed.

Tiafoe knows fully what he is doing and how he’s doing it with assistance on this day of clouds, rain, sunshine and help from a crowd fully intending to be partial to Tiafoe. “I just think there are vibes all around.” 

Tiafoe again was asked why he has gone farther at Indian Wells than in any previous Masters 1000 event — the most prestigious and prestigious on the ATP Tour. 

“Every win builds more and more confidence. I’m using my speed a lot more to be aggressive, not just to react to balls. I’ve been super happy being here. You know I have a lot left in the tank.” 

Which he will need the next two rounds, daring to think he might get that far.