As the world’s best tennis players head to New York for the U.S. Open, there’s an impressive tennis story that began right here in Prince George’s County.

In College Park, the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) has helped develop generations of young tennis players—but perhaps its most famous alumnus is Maryland native Frances Tiafoe.

Tiafoe, who grew up in the College Park area, has a particularly special connection to JTCC. His father, Frances Sr., was part of the construction crew that helped build the center in 1999. His young sons, Frances and his twin brother Franklin, grew up surrounded by tennis courts and players.

Frances began playing tennis at JTCC at just 4 years old, and by age 5, he was training there formally. He quickly became a fixture at the center, spending countless hours hitting balls and learning the game. What began as a childhood opportunity eventually became the foundation for a remarkable professional career.

Today, Tiafoe is one of the biggest names in American tennis. He reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2022 and 2024, has a career-high ranking of No. 10, and enters the 2026 U.S. Open ranked No. 12 in the world. Just days ago, he reached the Cincinnati Open final, continuing a strong 2026 season.

But Tiafoe is far from the only major player with ties to College Park.

Each year, JTCC hosts the Wayne K. Curry Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships, one of just three ITF J300 tournaments in North America and an important stop for elite juniors preparing for the U.S. Open Juniors. And this tournament is happening right now, August 22-29.

The tournament’s past competitors read like a who’s who of professional tennis: Coco Gauff, Tommy Paul, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, Frances Tiafoe, and many more competed on the College Park courts before becoming familiar names on the professional tour.

So, while the U.S. Open may be played more than 200 miles away in Queens, some of American tennis’ biggest dreams have been nurtured much closer to home—on the courts of Prince George’s County.

If you would like your county featured in Fun Facts, please get in touch with Abbey Duncan at aduncan@mdcounties.org