Frances Tiafoe reveals why Novak Djokovic 'doesn't count' in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duopoly
Updated 26/09/2025 at 17:37 GMT+1
Frances Tiafoe has revealed why Novak Djokovic "doesn't count" in the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duopoly. Tiafoe is currently the world No. 29 and he has one win each against the two modern greats. Alcaraz and Sinner shared the four Grand Slams among themselves this season, with the Italian winning Wimbledon and the Spaniard coming out victorious at the Australian, French and US Opens.
Tiafoe loses cool and smashes racquet after Fucsovics loss in Tokyo
Video credit: SNTV
Frances Tiafoe believes that someone needs to step up and challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top table of tennis.
However, the world No. 29 insists that someone cannot be Novak Djokovic due to his age.
Tiafoe was eliminated from the Japan Open in the round of 32 after losing 3-6 6-1 7-5 to world No. 58 Marton Fucsovics, a result that left him visibly frustrated as he smashed his racquet on court.
The American star has one win to his name against each of Alcaraz and Sinner, and he believes his cohort need to do more to challenge the pair.
"There's a couple more guys who've got to join them," he told Olympics.com. "I'm not saying beat them, but there's got to be [other] guys - and that motivates me.
"I’m like, yo, who's that third guy? Who's that fourth guy?
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"Novak (Djokovic) 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.
"Who is that other guy or two to be there and maybe beat these guys? That would be the quote-unquote Novak and (Andy) Murray - before Novak went and did what he did. Who are those guys? And there's a bunch of guys who can be that guy, right?
"So that's really motivating me. It's like, ‘See big picture'. That's motivating."
'You can expect a different version' of Tiafoe
Tiafoe has struggled to find his best form this season, with his finest performance coming at the French Open, where he was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Lorenzo Musetti.
He also reached the second round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon before being eliminated in the third round of the US Open against Jan-Lennard Struff.
Tiafoe insists that he will be a different player next season.
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"You can expect a different version," he added. "I’m just trying to gain all the good habits for next year.
"Next year, I want to have one of the best seasons that I've ever had, and I want to start now. I want to start playing the right way, be tough week in, week out.
"Be consistent. Show up. Show up and see where that takes me. Stay in the water for nine months and see what happens.
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Frances Tiafoe of the United States looks on Marton Fucsovics of Hungary during the Singles Round of 32 on day one of Kinoshita Group Japan Open at Ariake Colosseum on September 24, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
"And then you look back in nine months to a year and be like 'yeah, that was cool or maybe I should change this'. But that’s my thing. I just want to keep showing up.
"I got a window. The game's open, I got a window, I've got the capability and the biggest thing probably to being consistent is just be obsessed.
"If you want to be really good, you have to be obsessed with it, and that will take me a long way."
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