Frances Tiafoe Calls for Immediate Change in Tennis That Novak Djokovic Cannot Fulfill

Right now, the scope of men’s tennis belongs to World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 2 Jannik Sinner. The 2025 season proves it. Jim Courier even dubbed them the “New Two” at the US Open. They have clashed in five finals this year: the Italian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, and the US Open. In that, Alcaraz has won four, but Sinner stole Wimbledon, taking the crown from the defending champion. The rivalry is fierce, and the big question lingers: who will come between them? Frances Tiafoe thinks he has an answer.

So far, Alcaraz and Sinner have swept every Grand Slam in 2024 and 2025. The U.S. has waited since Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open for a men’s major champion. But Tiafoe isn’t backing down. He’s throwing them a challenge. “There’s a couple more guys who’ve got to join them. I’m not saying beat them, but there’s got to be (other) guys—and that motivates me,” Tiafoe told Olympics.com. He recalled their last meeting at Wimbledon the previous year, when Alcaraz edged him in five sets. “I’m like, yo, who’s that third guy? Who’s that fourth guy?”

One player Tiafoe refuses to count in this mix is Novak Djokovic. “Novak doesn’t count. He’s 40. I love him, but doesn’t count. He’s 40, he’s a GOAT, he’s the best player of all time. He’s not with those guys,” Tiafoe said with a grin. The US tennis star knows exactly what Alcaraz and Sinner bring, but he’s eager to unsettle their rhythm. And he wants more players to jump in to shake up the story.

But why not Novak? The Serb’s 2025 season saw him maintain a high level of performance, particularly in Grand Slam tournaments, despite the rise of younger rivals. He finished the season with a 31–10 record and one title. In his H2H matchups against his two main rivals in 2025, Djokovic holds a 1-1 record against Alcaraz and a 0-2 record against Sinner. His win over the Spaniard at the Australian Open marked his only victory against either player in a Grand Slam this season. He’s been the only player to challenge the new two truly.

Not to mention, Frances’ call echoes what Alexander Zverev said a few months ago: he wanted to “spoil” the Alcaraz and Sinner party. But the truth? The top two look a league apart from the rest. Alcaraz has racked up seven titles this year. Sinner owns two Slam trophies in 2025 and held No. 1 for 65 weeks before being dethroned in New York. Even now, he sits close behind Alcaraz, ready to reclaim the top spot with a few big wins.

Frances Tiafoe believes he sees what separates the two. “With Jannik, you know what product you’re going to get from him every single day. Alcaraz is more similar to me, as in the flashier talent or whatever, but still, his effort and what he brings out is the same every day,” he said. He even thinks he can close the gap. If he can “bring in a high-intensity effort to practice, I’ll be all right.”

But Tiafoe’s own results remind him how steep the climb is. He hasn’t lifted a title since Stuttgart 2023. This year, he reached a final in Houston, an ATP 250. His best Slam run came at Roland Garros, where he broke through to the quarterfinals for the first time, becoming the first Black American man since Arthur Ashe to do so. He also made the quarters in Washington. But at the US Open, where he was a semifinalist last year, his run ended in the third round. And on the Asian swing, his first tournament started badly.

Frances Tiafoe sees an unfortunate end to his Japan Open run

On September 24, Tiafoe’s run at the Japan Open ended with a shocker. Up against qualifier Marton Fucsovics in Tokyo, he grabbed the first set 6-3 but couldn’t hang on. Fucsovics stormed back to take it 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, handing Tiafoe his first opening-round hard-court loss of the year (10-1). The 2022 Tokyo finalist fought through a tense decider with three breaks of serve, but the Hungarian outlasted him in heavy baseline rallies to clinch it. The win gave Fucsovics a 3-2 lead in their H2H and pushed him up seven spots to No. 51 in the ATP Live Rankings.

The frustration poured out instantly. After losing a match point, Frances Tiafoe walked to the net and smashed his racket again and again until nothing was left. The clip spread fast online, showing just how much the loss stung.

From once being a top face of U.S. men’s tennis, Tiafoe now sits at No. 29 in the ATP Rankings. Reflecting on the year, he admitted it hasn’t gone as planned. “I lost a lot of tough ones, struggled to put matches together like the three, four in a row that you kind of need to sit on top of the game. And I didn’t have a couple of big results that I normally have every year. I have a chance to end strong and put some things together. But ultimately, it’s been a very up-and-down year,” he said.

Last month brought a third-round exit at the US Open and a late Laver Cup withdrawal. Now, a stinging first-round loss in Tokyo adds to the struggles. He’s still in the doubles draw this week, but the bigger question hovers: what comes next for Frances Tiafoe? Will he follow through on his own words, commit to the grind in practice, and return ready to battle Alcaraz and Sinner? Share your takes in the comments below!