Frances Tiafoe, the son of a janitor who once slept in an office, has now earned £9 million and is aiming to finally secure a US Open title.

After a long 16 years, American tennis fans are eagerly anticipating the return of a male star to the final of their home Grand Slam event.

The last American to reach the men’s singles final at the US Open was Andy Roddick in 2006, but he fell short against Roger Federer, losing in four sets.

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Roddick remains the last American man to secure a US Open title, which he accomplished in 2003.

Since then, a frustrating drought has persisted, characterized by missed opportunities and close calls.

John Isner‘s formidable serve never quite carried him deep into a Grand Slam, while Mardy Fish peaked at No. 7 in the ATP rankings but also lacked major Slam success.

However, American tennis is on the brink of producing a new champion, with Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe set to clash in the men’s singles semi-finals this Friday.

For Fritz, reaching this stage marks the pinnacle of his career in Grand Slams, having already made it to the quarter-finals at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this season.

Tiafoe thrives under pressure in Flushing Meadows, having reached the semis in 2022 and the quarter-finals last year.

His journey to professional tennis reads like a screenplay. The 26-year-old is the son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, and his father Constant worked as a janitor at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Washington as early as 1999. Due to the extensive hours required, Constant made a vacant storage unit at the tennis center his home.

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Tiafoe shared this unique space with his twin brother, Franklin, both using a massage table as their bed. Despite facing ridicule for wearing a Pikachu t-shirt and shoes that showed wear, Tiafoe’s perspective shifted during a trip to Sierra Leone with his mother, where he witnessed deep poverty.

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Fortunately, Tiafoe’s passion for the sport caught the attention of Misha Kouznetsov, a coach at the facility, who took him under his wing. Kouznetsov not only mentored him but also funded his entry fees for various tournaments, recognizing his potential as he repeatedly defeated older and taller players.

Tiafoe’s breakout moment in junior tennis came when he became the youngest male to win the prestigious Orange Bowl tournament.

However, transitioning that potential into professional success took time. Tiafoe secured his first ATP title at the Delray Beach Open in 2018 but did not claim another until the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in 2023.

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In Grand Slam competitions, Tiafoe reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in 2019 but did not advance beyond that until the 2022 US Open.

Now, he is just three sets away from achieving what no American man has managed since Roddick.

Tiafoe’s impressive performance in New York is also contributing to a significant financial boost in his career. Thus far, he has earned around £9 million ($11 million) across his singles and doubles endeavors as per ATP records.

As his US Open journey concludes, one wonders how much that earnings figure will increase.

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If Tiafoe loses against Fritz, he is still guaranteed to take home £761,000 ($1 million). A victory in the final would net him £2.7 million ($3.6 million), while finishing as the runner-up would bring in £1.3 million ($1.8 million).

These financial figures represent a far cry from the days he spent sleeping on a massage table in a storage unit at a Washington tennis center.

Now, he stands just two wins away from inspiring a new generation of athletes and potentially ending America’s lengthy wait for its next male Grand Slam champion.