Frances Tiafoe Serves Aces for Mental Health, HBCU Tennis Programs

Frances Tiafoe speaks on his new partnership for better mental health and his connection with HBCU tennis programs.

The bold and highly talented American tennis player Frances Tiafoe serves aces for mental health and HBCU tennis programs. BetterHelp announced a partnership with Tiafoe, Venus Williams, and Taylor worth $3 million to deliver free mental health therapy to needy recipients.

Sep 25, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Frances Tiafoe (USA) celebrates on court as he helps Team World to win the Laver Cup. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

"Mental health has been overlooked for many years," Frances told HBCU Legends. "I wanted to help, and when the partnership opportunity came up, I was down for it happening. It will help so many people."

"19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. 4.91% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.37% in New Jersey to 26.86% in Utah." Mental Health America

Mental stress has affected even the most competitive athletes over recent years. From Simone Biles to Naomi Osaka, prominent sports celebrities were forced to take a mental health breaks away from sports to focus on their well-being.

'BetterHelp' for Better Mental Health

Frances, 24, is familiar with the stresses and pressures of being a rising star in professional tennis. Currently, he's the world's No. 19 ranked player and sits behind his BetterHelp partner and 11th-ranked Taylor Fritz as the men who have the greatest chances of winning a singles major championship for America.  In September, Frances came very close in the 2022 U.S. Open semifinals where he lost to the tournament's champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The tennis phenom's partnership with BetterHelp relieves a significant issue -- the cost. "I'm a big advocate of mental healthcare, but it can be quite expensive. A lot of people struggle, male and female." Frances believes the BetterHelp site and questionnaire will make patients comfortable knowing they can safely and securely care for their conditions.

Sep 25, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Frances Tiafoe (USA) plays a shot against Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) in Lavers Cup singles. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

Frances' HBCU Connection

During his youth, tennis resources weren't plentiful for Frances and his twin-brother Franklin, even though his father was the head of maintenance at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. At five, his Sierra Leonean immigrant father, Constant Tiafoe, found ways to introduce his sons to the sport. Most HBCUs have a similar challenge, access to financial sponsorship and resources for their tennis players.

"I believe HBCUs have so much talent there, right," Frances remarked. "But, obviously, putting the money in HBCUs will help. They just need structure to enhance their skills and abilities. We need to get them on a leveled playing field where it makes sense."

The HBCU Tennis National Championships were held in Atlanta, GA, at South Fulton Tennis Center on Sept. 15-18. The Alabama State University men won the 2022 Men's National Championship, and the Xavier University of Louisiana women took home the 2022 Women's National Championship trophy.

Sep 9, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Frances Tiafoe (USA) reacts after winning a point against Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) (not pictured) in a men's singles semifinal on day twelve of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The other 2022 HBCU National Champions are as follows:

• Men's A Singles Champion - Jonasz Dziopak (TSU)
• Men's B Singles Champion - David Jeanne-Grandinot (ASU)
• Men's C Singles Champion - Nereo Suarez (XULA)
• Men's A Doubles Champions - Jacobi Bain / Vander Woody (XULA)
• Men's B Doubles Champions - David Jeanne-Grandiot / Matis Amer (ASU)
• Women's A Singles Champion - Jasmine Boyd (AAMU)
• Women's B Singles Champion - DRAW; Unfinished FAMU vs ASU
• Women's C Singles Champion - Alejandra Hidalgo
• Women's A Doubles Champions - Veronica Rodriguez / Andrea Quiroz
• Women's B Doubles Champions - Tianna Dixon / McKenna Wheatley (XULA)

Frances concluded, "Working with BetterHelp is great. I hope people can find value in their lives and maintain balanced mental health."

"It's easy to neglect our mental well-being when we get wrapped up in our day-to-day lives," says Alon Matas, President, and Founder of BetterHelp. "We're thrilled to work with these amazing players to remind people to care for themselves while providing free resources to do just that."

To learn more about BetterHelp's mental health services and the opportunity to receive one month of free BetterHelp therapy, please visit www.betterhelp.com/tennis.

World Mental Health Day will take place on Oct. 10, 2022.

About BetterHelp

BetterHelp is the world's largest therapy platform, with over 26,000 therapists, facilitating over 5,000,000 video sessions, voice calls, chats, and messages every month. We set out on a mission to ensure everyone has easy, affordable, safe, and private access to high-quality therapy. Since 2013, our licensed, accredited, and board-certified therapists have helped more than 2,000,000 people face life's challenges and improve their mental health.

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