Tiafoe makes concerning decision after Japan Open | Sports News

American tennis star Frances Tiafoe has determined to step away from the ATP Tour for the rest of 2025, after a livid outburst on the Japan Open.

Tiafoe, No. 28 on the earth, has endured a disappointing season after reaching the semifinals of the US Open in 2024. While he did attain the quarterfinals of the French Open for the primary time, Tiafoe suffered his earliest US Open exit since 2019, shedding within the third spherical to Jan-Lennard Struff.

The American furiously smashed his racket during a first-round defeat to Marton Fucsovics on the Japan Open, and didn’t bounce back on the Shanghai Masters, additionally shedding within the first spherical. Tiafoe has withdrawn from future occasions in Paris, Metz, and Vienna.

Tiafoe’s decision implies that his 2025 season is over. However, he’s scheduled to play in an exhibition occasion in New Jersey on Dec. 7. Tiafoe will characteristic alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Amanda Anisimova, and Emma Raducanu at ‘A Racket on the Rock,’ hosted at Prudential Center.

It’s unknown whether or not Tiafoe will withdraw from the exhibition. Express US Sports has contacted Prudential Center for remark.

Tiafoe was ranked World No. 11 earlier this yr, however has slipped down the rankings. He reached a boiling level in Japan, smashing his Yonex racket after Fucsovics gained their first-round match.

Yonex is a Japanese producer, and Tiafoe risked angering his sponsor as he destroyed the racket in entrance of native followers. However, Tiafoe has grown annoyed along with his performances by way of 2025 and admitted that consistency has been a actual challenge.

“It’s a mediocre season at best,” Tiafoe mentioned. “I’ve had some very tough losses, I’ve really struggled to string matches together, like the three or four in a row that you need to stay at the top.

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“And I additionally have not had the wonderful outcomes that I’m used to having yearly. I’ve the chance to complete sturdy and obtain some issues, however, in the end, this yr has been marked by a lot of ups and downs.

“A year ago, I was one set away from the US Open final. I think from that point, I needed to push forward, but I haven’t played with enough hunger. You have to prove it week after week in tennis, and that’s something I haven’t done.

“This yr, I’ve performed nervously, not on the degree I’m succesful of. I need to be constant, battle for a full 9 months, and see what occurs. I need to be utterly centered to see the place that takes me.

“The game is open, I have the ability to do better, and the most important thing for being consistent is simply to be obsessed. If you want to be really good, you have to be obsessed with the game, and it’s that mindset that will take me very far.”