Ayan Broomfield: Championing Diversity in Tennis
Frances Tiafoe is chasing history on court. Off it, Ayan Broomfield has been there for almost every step of the climb.
She’s not just the girlfriend in the players’ box, clapping between points and posing for photos after big wins. She’s lived this sport, won in it, and now is trying to change who gets to belong in it.
And she’s been doing it alongside Tiafoe for 11 years.
From Ontario courts to college glory
Broomfield was born on Aug. 13, 1997, in Ontario, Canada, and grew up north of the border before her tennis ambitions pulled her to the United States. Clemson University became her first stop, and she didn’t exactly ease her way in.
In two seasons there, she collected serious hardware: ACC Freshman of the Year and ITA Carolina Region Rookie of the Year. She arrived as a prospect; she left as one of the conference’s standout young players.
Then she made a bold move.
After her sophomore year, Broomfield transferred to UCLA, drawn, as she put it in her school bio, by the program’s rich history and the chance to help shape its future. She delivered. In 2019, as a senior, she and doubles partner Gabby Andrews stormed through the NCAA draw and captured the national doubles title, the seventh such crown in UCLA history.
The moment meant more than a trophy. When the championship ring finally arrived, she posted a photo, beaming, the sparkly symbol of a promise kept on her hand.
“My number one goal for college tennis was to get a national championship ring. look what just arrived 💎😍 could not be happier to get it while competing at ucla,” she wrote.
Goal set. Goal hit.
A pro’s touch and a Hollywood turn
Before college, Broomfield had already tested herself on the professional stage. In 2014 she made her WTA debut at the Coupe Banque Nationale, stepping into the doubles draw alongside Maria Patrascu. The rookie pair climbed to No. 467 in the world in doubles, a foothold on the tour ladder.
Broomfield then invested more heavily in her singles career, building a reputation as an influential presence in women’s tennis and attracting partnerships with brands like Wilson and Athleta. The endorsements reflected not just her game, but her voice.
That game also took her somewhere few players ever go: a Hollywood film set.
When King Richard began production, the filmmakers needed someone who could replicate Venus Williams’ movement, timing, and feel on court. They turned to Broomfield, who served as the body double for Saniyya Sidney, the actress playing Venus. On set, she met Will Smith and Serena Williams, a surreal extension of a childhood dream for any tennis kid.
In November 2021, Tiafoe walked the red carpet with her at the movie’s premiere. Later, he called it an “iconic night” on Instagram, a shared milestone that had nothing to do with ranking points or prize money.
A DM, a US Open, and a decade together
The origin story of their relationship is very 21st century.
Tiafoe revealed in a 2018 press conference that they first connected through fellow player Victoria Duval. Then came the moment that would change both their lives: a direct message.
“You know, Instagram these days and, you know, I slid in her DMs,” he said. “And then it was quite weird. I don't usually do it, and we started talking a little bit, and then I asked for her number.”
Soon after, Broomfield and her family came to watch him play at the 2015 US Open. For a young player just starting his professional journey, it was a big stage and an even bigger step personally.
“I was like, jeez, we're not even dating yet, and I'm already meeting your family,” he joked. “We're moving quite quick here, but that was another story.”
The story properly began on Sept. 8, 2015, the date they mark as their official anniversary. Four years later, Tiafoe celebrated the milestone with a playful, heartfelt Instagram message and a photo of the two dressed up for a night out.
“Happy Fourth year anniversary babes. Damn time went craaazzyyy quick. We been datin datin 😂😂😂,” he wrote. “Love you deep sexy. You one crazy chick 😂😂 but couldn't imagine being with anyone else 💕💕❤️❤️💕.”
Three months after they started dating, Tiafoe made it public. On Dec. 22, 2015, he posted a photo of the pair in matching backward caps, embracing after a week together in Boca Raton.
“Great week in boca with @ayanbroomfield had a amazing time with you and Im gonna miss you sooo much hope you have great time during the holidays with the family #bae #greatgal #cantwaittobewithuagain,” he captioned it.
The world could now see what their friends already knew: this wasn’t a fling; it was a partnership.
The strategist in the stands
As Tiafoe has risen, Broomfield has rarely been far away. She’s his loudest voice in the crowd and one of his sharpest sounding boards once the cameras switch off.
In June 2023, when Tiafoe broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time, Broomfield marked the moment with a collage of screenshots documenting his journey.
“TOP 10 IN THE WORLD!” she wrote. “I started taking screenshots of different moments and accomplishments a few years ago in anticipation of this day ... I am so proud of you.”
Tiafoe responded in the comments with a message that read like a love letter and a reflection on everything they’d been through since 2015.
“Man to think how far we've come. 2015 meeting you for the first and also just starting my career. Youve rocked with me thru it all. The good the bad and the standstills. It's been a ride no one can put into words.
You mean more to me than you can ever imagine. I love you with all I got.”
The emotional support is obvious. The tactical support is quieter, but just as real.
In an ATP interview in August 2023, Broomfield explained how their personalities and tennis backgrounds blend. Tiafoe, she said, is naturally “happy-go-lucky,” while she tends to be the more serious one. Together, they find a balance.
Because she played at a high level, their conversations often go beyond “good luck” and “great win.”
“We can talk about tennis. I mean, I played tennis myself. So even just when we're seeing the draw, and we kind of look at certain players, sometimes I can act as a sounding board for matches,” she said.
Tiafoe doesn’t always follow her advice, she admitted, but he values having someone who understands the grind, the nerves, and the preparation required to compete at the sport’s peak.
“I just feel like we just understand it and what it takes for someone to go and be able to compete at the highest level,” she added.
That connection surfaced in a particularly memorable way in Houston in 2023. At the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, Tiafoe was locked into the job at hand, unaware that Broomfield had secretly flown in.
Only at 1-0 in the first set did he spot her in the crowd.
“I also want to thank … my girlfriend Ayan, who I see in the crowd at 1-0. I didn't even know you were in Houston. I thought you were in L.A.! She surprised me, that's unbelievable you're here. You see me win my second title, so that's unbelievable,” he said in his victory speech, a clip later shared by Tennis TV.
It was a small moment on a small court by tour standards. For them, it was everything.
Ayan’s Aces and a bigger mission
Broomfield’s influence now stretches well beyond her own playing days and her role in Tiafoe’s orbit.
In early 2025, she launched Ayan's Aces, an initiative aimed squarely at bringing more diversity into tennis. The project started with a powerful visual: more than 100 women of color hosted at the Miami Open, filling spaces in and around a tournament where those faces have too often been missing.
From there, she has pushed representation on and off the court—inside stadium suites, at cultural events around tournaments, and in the conversations about who gets to feel welcome in a sport that has historically been closed to many.
It’s a natural extension of who she is: a former pro, a college champion, a body double for Venus Williams, and the partner of one of the game’s most charismatic stars. But it’s also its own path, its own legacy.
As Tiafoe fights for majors and deeper runs at the US Open, Broomfield stands in his corner, cheering, advising, sometimes surprising him from halfway across the country.
And while he chases trophies, she’s chasing something just as ambitious: a tennis world where the next Ayan Broomfield, or the next Frances Tiafoe, doesn’t feel like an exception at all.
