#NextGen Star Tiafoe Shares 'Last Time'…

In Houston for the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, #NextGen star Frances Tiafoe shares the last time…

I missed a flight?
Last year, first week in November going to the Knoxville Challenger. I was just joking around on my phone, and then I got into a (Friday Night Lights) episode on Netflix, and I was literally right next to the gate and right next to the flight agent and just missed it, didn’t even hear it. That was pretty embarrassing… (I said to the flight agent), “There’s no way you said it,” and they were like, “Of course I did. I said it a million times. Everyone’s on the flight.” It was pretty embarrassing… Then I just went home and then told my mom and she was pretty upset. She said, “You’re just not a smart kid.”

I lost something important?
Actually today, I can’t really find my credit card. Ha, ha. But then I just found it… I lose stuff all the time so that’s an everyday occurrence… I was about to cancel it but it turned out it was just in my pants.

I paid money to rent a tennis court or buy tennis balls?
Never… I don’t think I’ve ever paid to play tennis… back home sometimes you have to buy balls but never have to pay to play on a court.

Being famous helped me?
I’m starting to get decently known in (Washington) D.C. and… I was at (an Outback Steakhouse in late December) and one woman said she’s going to pay for my dinner. So that was pretty cool. I was with my brother…I got the bill and the (waiter) said the woman over there paid for it. So I went over and said thank you and hugged her, and said, “You didn’t have to do that, really”… I had no idea who she was. I’d never seen her in my life… She said, “I’m a big fan,” and then I said, “Is there anything I can do?” (She said), “No, just keep doing you.”

I strung a tennis racquet?
Never strung a tennis racquet. I did the crosses once (about a year ago), but it just takes too long, and I just got lazy, and then said screw it. I just never cared to learn. It’s too much of an effort for me, I think… (The crosses) took me about 45 minutes. I was trying to be all precise with it. Because there were already mains on it and to do the crosses, you have to keep weaving, keep weaving, I said, “Nah, this is too much of a grind.”

I cooked for myself and others?
The last time I cooked for myself it went pretty bad. It was in (December) and I was in my apartment. I was with a bunch of friends. And I said, yeah, I got this. My mom does this at home all the time. I watched her, and it just started going bad, everything was burnt. I was like, “Oh my God. Any takeout?”… I’ve never doing that again… No fires, so that was good… I was trying to make some lasagna and I just overcooked it, and just so bad… It was a goner… We said, “McDonald’s sounds good!”

I met a childhood idol?
I met Paul Pierce at a Washington Wizards game during the playoffs last year. That was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe I met Paul Pierce. Obviously his legacy and the big three – him, Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. It was unbelievable seeing him.

I shared a hotel room with another player?
Maui… in January was the last time. It was me, Stefan Kozlov, Michael Mmoh, and we had a blast… We were just joking around, would go on the beach every day. I felt like I wasn’t even playing a tournament… It was the three of us, two beds. I would sleep with Koz most of the days. Mmoh moves too much, so we just gave him his own bed. It was fun. It’s probably the most fun I’ve had at a tournament in a long time… I slept well. Stefan’s a heavy sleeper. I’d sometimes wake up with his arm around me. I’d try to move him, and he just doesn’t move, he’s like a stone.

I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
I saw Dwyane Wade in the locker room of the Miami Heat (in December). We had a connect there… I took a selfie with him, I was with my girlfriend. It was unbelievable.