In the wake of the protests in the United states following the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, world No 81 Frances Tiafoe feels that not everyone wishes for him to succeed.
Floyd’s death has sparked off widespread protests in USA. Tiafoe condemned the incident along with compatriots Serena Williams and Coco Gauff. The teenager, in a video on TikTok asked if she was the next victim of police brutality. Tiafoe said that, having felt like an “outsider” in the tennis world, he had to work harder to taste success in the sport.
“I definitely feel that not everybody wants to see that success in me,” Tiafoe told CNN. “I definitely felt that because ultimately, they don’t want us in power. I truly think that’s a thing.”
Many other popular American sportspeople, including NBA greats Michael Jordan, Lebron James have called for justice for Floyd. “I think if more people who have weight, who have a big platform, speak out then I think change can happen and you can be optimistic,” Tiafoe added.
“Obviously you see everything going on in America right now, I think it’s a good idea to come together right now and try to speak out.”
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