Alafia Ayeni will not be a family title on the ATP Tour, however that isn’t stopping him from making an affect 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 Workforce 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 Workforce 3x in 2022.
“Rising up, I feel one of many greatest obstacles to entry for this sport is the monetary facet of it, shopping for gear, shopping for footwear, strings, these are all very excessive prices,” Ayeni instructed ATPTour.com not too long ago on the NCAA championships in Lake Nona, Florida. “And for somebody, even a center class household, it’s extremely 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 yr. Because of the ATP/ITA Accelerator Programme, Ayeni’s onerous work is rewarded with as much as eight qualifying spots at choose ATP Challenger Tour occasions within the subsequent yr.
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 US at age 17 and now works as a lawyer. Alafia’s mom, Pamela, is a software program engineer, which he mentioned 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 Workforce 3x, he launched a clothes line with earnings getting used to help juniors in his stomping grounds of southern California. The objective is to ignite aspiring athletes’ careers by serving to them journey to nationwide junior tournaments.
“I feel that the game has been a bit of bit stigmatised inside the minority neighborhood, particularly the African-American neighborhood,” Ayeni mentioned. “Rising up, taking part in tennis, even in highschool, you inform folks you play tennis they usually’re form of actually shocked. They do not view it as a viable choice to get to school or to make a residing. Whereas they view basketball, soccer, or monitor as very viable choices. I feel 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 yr into Workforce 3x, Ayeni shortly discovered help on and off the court docket whereas spending his graduate season in Lexington, Kentucky.
“The College of Kentucky has helped me out quite a bit,” Ayeni mentioned. “Having a complete college at your again will actually assist you acquire attain, you may join with the correct folks, and it actually helps your model develop.”
Below the tutelage of head coach Cedric Kauffmann at Kentucky, Ayeni helped the Wildcats declare their first SEC title since 1992. Ayeni is one in all 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 feel he had a giant progress yr,” Kaufmann mentioned. “He is much more steady mentally, bodily additionally, feels actually good. He is only a very robust participant, very aggressive participant. He involves the web; not lots of gamers come to the web anymore that a lot. He has the facility and athletic capability to play some excellent factors on the huge moments.”
Although the American shouldn’t be 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 quite a bit with lots of the internationals when it comes to competing and taller standing and elevating the extent of faculty tennis for years to come back,” Ayeni mentioned.
The seventh seed Ayeni will meet qualifier Evgeny Philippov within the Astana Challenger opening spherical Tuesday. Followers can stream all ATP Challenger Tour matches reside and on demand without spending a dime at Challenger TV.