Alafia Ayeni might not be a family title on the ATP Tour, however that’s not stopping him from making an impression by giving again to the game.
The 23-year-old, who’s competing at this week’s ATP Challenger Tour occasion in Astana, Kazakhstan, began his personal model Crew 3x, designed to encourage and empower minorities in sports activities to beat structural obstacles and social stigmas. The previous College of Kentucky star Ayeni launched Crew 3x in 2022.
“Rising up, I believe one of many largest obstacles to entry for this sport is the monetary facet of it, shopping for gear, shopping for sneakers, strings, these are all very excessive prices,” Ayeni informed ATPTour.com just lately on the NCAA championships in Lake Nona, Florida. “And for somebody, even a center class household, it’s totally tough to make it due to these issues.”
Initially from San Diego, California, Ayeni performed 4 seasons at Cornell College earlier than transferring to the College of Kentucky, the place he went 18-9 in dual-season singles and earned ITA All-American honours this 12 months. Due to the ATP/ITA Accelerator Programme, Ayeni’s arduous work is rewarded with as much as eight qualifying spots at choose ATP Challenger Tour occasions within the subsequent 12 months.
World No. 427 Ayeni is impressed to make use of his platform to supply alternatives to minority youngsters. His father, Anthony, hails from Nigeria however moved to the USA at age 17 and now works as a lawyer. Alafia’s mom, Pamela, is a software program engineer, which he stated helped spark his curiosity in sport design and coding.
Ayeni is a self starter. Whereas he was at Cornell College in New York, he taught himself to play piano. When he started Crew 3x, he launched a clothes line with earnings getting used to help juniors in his stomping grounds of southern California. The aim is to ignite aspiring athletes’ careers by serving to them journey to nationwide junior tournaments.
“I believe that the game has been just a little bit stigmatised throughout the minority group, particularly the African-American group,” Ayeni stated. “Rising up, enjoying tennis, even in highschool, you inform individuals you play tennis and so they’re sort of actually shocked. They do not view it as a viable choice to get to varsity or to make a residing. Whereas they view basketball, soccer, or monitor as very viable choices. I believe that is a cultural stigma. That is one thing that my firm is working to overturn.”
The primary merchandise launch consisted of 68 sweatshirts. Why an arbitrary quantity like 68? The late Arthur Ashe gained his first main in 1968, when he turned the one African-American man to triumph on the US Open.
Only one 12 months into Crew 3x, Ayeni rapidly discovered assist on and off the court docket whereas spending his graduate season in Lexington, Kentucky.
“The College of Kentucky has helped me out so much,” Ayeni stated. “Having a whole college at your again will actually enable you acquire attain, you’ll be able to join with the correct individuals, and it actually helps your model develop.”
Beneath the tutelage of head coach Cedric Kauffmann at Kentucky, Ayeni helped the Wildcats declare their first SEC title since 1992. Ayeni is one in every of 21 gamers to profit from the all-new ATP/ITA Accelerator Programme, which goals to extend the event pathway for prime gamers within the American Collegiate system.
“I believe he had a giant development 12 months,” Kaufmann stated. “He is much more steady mentally, bodily additionally, feels actually good. He is only a very robust participant, very aggressive participant. He involves the online; not plenty of gamers come to the online anymore that a lot. He has the facility and athletic capability to play some excellent factors on the large moments.”
Although the American just isn’t utilizing an Accelerator spot at this week’s President’s Cup in Astana, followers will proceed to see Ayeni on the ATP Challenger Tour.
“This accelerator program goes to assist so much with plenty of the internationals by way of competing and taller standing and elevating the extent of school tennis for years to come back,” Ayeni stated.
The seventh seed Ayeni will meet qualifier Evgeny Philippov within the Astana Challenger opening spherical Tuesday. Followers can stream all ATP Challenger Tour matches dwell and on demand free of charge at Challenger TV.