Frances Tiafoe is chasing the biggest prizes in tennis. Ayan Broomfield has been there for almost every step, long before the stadium lights and top‑10 rankings.
Their story is stitched into the fabric of his rise.
From Canadian courts to college champion
Broomfield was born on Aug. 13, 1997, in Ontario, Canada, and grew up north of the border before packing her bags for the U.S. to chase tennis at Clemson University. She didn’t just blend into the college scene; she made noise.
At Clemson, she collected ACC Freshman of the Year honors and was named ITA Carolina Region Rookie of the Year, quickly marking herself out as one to watch. Two years in, she wanted more. History. A bigger stage.
So she transferred to UCLA “because of its rich history and to have the opportunity to create something for its future,” as her school bio put it. She delivered exactly that.
In 2019, as a senior, Broomfield and doubles partner Gabby Andrews stormed through the NCAA draw and were crowned national doubles champions, securing UCLA’s seventh NCAA doubles title. Later, she posed with her championship ring on Instagram, calling it her “number one goal for college tennis.” The sparkle on her finger told the story: target set, target hit.
A brief but meaningful pro run
Before college, Broomfield had already dipped her toes into the professional game. In 2014, she made her WTA debut at the Coupe Banque Nationale in the doubles draw alongside Maria Patrascu. The pair climbed to No. 467 in the world in women’s doubles, a modest number on paper but a landmark for a teenager trying to carve out a place in a brutal sport.
She then turned more of her focus to singles, building a reputation as an influential presence in women’s tennis and landing partnerships with Wilson and Athleta. The pro tour grind didn’t last forever, but it opened doors beyond the baseline.
One of them led to Hollywood.
From the tour to the big screen
Broomfield’s clean technique and court movement earned her a role as a body double in King Richard, the Oscar‑winning film about the Williams family. She stepped in for Saniyya Sidney, who played Venus Williams, helping bring to life the early days of one of the sport’s greatest champions.
On set, she met Will Smith, who portrayed Richard Williams, and Serena Williams herself. It was a surreal crossover: a college champion and former pro helping recreate the legend of the very players who inspired a generation.
When the film premiered in November 2021, Tiafoe was right there with her on the red carpet. He later called it an “iconic night” on Instagram, the kind of evening that underlined how far both of them had traveled from junior courts and college dual matches.
A DM, a US Open, and the start of something
The relationship that now feels rock solid started in very modern fashion.
Tiafoe revealed during a 2018 press conference that they first connected through fellow player Victoria Duval. Then came Instagram. Then came the DM.
“You know, Instagram these days and, you know, I slid in her DMs,” he said. “And then it was quite weird. I don't usually do it, and we started talking a little bit, and then I asked for her number.”
Soon after, Broomfield and her family came to watch him at the 2015 US Open. For a young player just starting to find his feet on tour, it was a big moment off the court as well.
“I was like, jeez, we're not even dating yet, and I'm already meeting your family,” he joked. “We're moving quite quick here, but that was another story.”
They made it official on Sept. 8, 2015. Three months later, they went “Instagram official,” with Tiafoe posting a photo of the pair in matching backwards caps and a caption that made it clear how hard the distance between them already hit.
“Great week in boca with @ayanbroomfield,” he wrote, adding that he was going to miss her “sooo much.”
The tone never really changed. On their fourth anniversary, he posted another tribute: “We been datin datin,” he wrote, laughing his way through the caption before signing off with, “couldn't imagine being with anyone else.”
Top 10 and a scrapbook of moments
As Tiafoe climbed the rankings, Broomfield kept receipts.
In June 2023, when he cracked the world’s top 10 for the first time, she marked the moment with a collage of screenshots from his career milestones.
“TOP 10 IN THE WORLD!” she wrote. “I started taking screenshots of different moments and accomplishments a few years ago in anticipation of this day ... I am so proud of you.”
Tiafoe replied in the comments, reflecting on the journey from that first meeting in 2015 to the top tier of the sport.
“Man to think how far we've come,” he wrote. “Youve rocked with me thru it all. The good the bad and the standstills. It's been a ride no one can put into words.”
Then he stripped it back to the core: “You mean more to me than you can ever imagine. I love you with all I got.”
The strategist in the stands
Broomfield is not just another face in the player’s box. She understands the grind, the tactics, the nerves, because she has lived them.
During an ATP interview in August 2023, she spoke about how their personalities and backgrounds mesh. Tiafoe, she said, is naturally “happy-go-lucky.” She is more serious. That contrast works.
“I think we balance each other out a lot,” she said.
They also speak the same tennis language. Draws, matchups, tendencies — it all becomes part of their conversations.
“We can talk about tennis. I mean, I played tennis myself,” she explained. “So even just when we're seeing the draw, and we kind of look at certain players, sometimes I can act as a sounding board for matches.”
Tiafoe doesn’t always follow her advice, but he values having someone who knows what it takes to compete at the highest level. As she put it: “I just feel like we just understand it and what it takes for someone to go and be able to compete at the highest level.”
Surprise in Houston
Her support is not limited to long messages and tactical chats.
In 2023, Broomfield quietly flew to Houston for the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, where Tiafoe went on to win his second ATP title. He had no idea she was in the stadium.
Only at the end of the first set did he spot her in the crowd. The realization hit mid‑tournament, mid‑battle.
“I also want to thank … my girlfriend Ayan, who I see in the crowd at 1-0. I didn't even know you were in Houston. I thought you were in L.A.!” he said in his victory speech. “She surprised me, that's unbelievable you're here. You see me win my second title, so that's unbelievable.”
For Tiafoe, that title became more than a line on his résumé. It turned into a shared memory, another entry in the scrapbook Broomfield has been building.
Ayan’s Aces: changing the picture in tennis
Broomfield’s influence now stretches beyond her own career and beyond her role in Tiafoe’s story.
In early 2025, she launched Ayan’s Aces, an initiative built to push diversity in tennis and create space for women of color in and around the sport. The opening move was ambitious: hosting more than 100 women of color at the Miami Open, placing them not just in the stands but in the conversation.
Since then, she has continued to drive representation, making sure women of color are visible in stadium suites, at cultural events, and in the environments where tennis power brokers mingle. It’s a deliberate attempt to change who feels welcome in the sport and who sees themselves reflected in its spaces.
More than a plus-one
As Frances Tiafoe adds semifinal runs and top‑10 rankings to his name, Ayan Broomfield stands beside him not as a supporting character, but as a former champion, strategist, advocate, and partner of 11 years.
She has walked the college courts, tasted the tour, doubled for Venus Williams on a movie set, and now builds platforms for the next generation to step through tennis’s often closed doors.
The question isn’t just how far Tiafoe can go from here. It’s how much of the sport Broomfield herself can help reshape while he does it.
