Frances Tiafoe’s complete air-swing makes for hilarious miss

THIS kid is supposed to be the future of American tennis. Suddenly Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic don’t look so bad.

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: Frances Tiafoe of the United States looks on against Viktor Troicki of Serbia during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 1, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

HE has been branded one of the most talented junior tennis players in the world, and is widely recognised as the future of US tennis.

But Frances Tiafoe is far from perfect.

Playing in the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger against Tunisian Malek Jaziri, the 17-year-old prodigy made one of the biggest blunders of his career.

In what would have been the game point and a chance to tie the set 6-6, Tiafoe was presented with an easy volley from Jaziri. All the youngster had to do was hammer the ball into the court and win the point.

So simple was the shot that the Tunisian had already conceded defeat, turning his back to walk towards the end of the court and prepare for the next serve.

However the young star made an absolute meal of it.

To Tiafoe’s shock, and that of the crowd and commentators alike, a complete airswing saw the ball bobble under the 17-year-old’s feet on his side of the net, forfeiting the point to his 31-year-old opponent.

“What just... He missed,” a shocked commentator said.

“Jaziri just now realising that he won the point.

“I know there has been some debate on Twitter about the miss of the year, and I think we have a new nominee.”

Tiafoe went on to win the match and progress to the next round. But needless to say he learnt a very valuable lesson: never take your eyes off the ball.

Born to a West African migrant father who worked as a maintenance man in an elite junior tennis centre in Maryland, Tiafoe was earmarked as a tennis superstar from an early age.

Signed to music juggernaut Jay Z’s sporting talent agency Roc Nation Sports, at just 15 years of age he became the youngest player to ever win the Orange Bowl — a prestigious 18-and-under tournament whose past winners include Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

Now on the ATP circuit and ranked No.226 in the world, the youngster plays against some of the sport’s top athletes, matching up with Aussie and current world No.53 Sam Groth at the Atlanta Tennis Championships in July this year.

Tiafoe’s recent stuff up draws a number of parallels to this would-be simple shot by Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios. Oops.