Andy Roddick has one big question to ask about Frances Tiafoe heading into the 2025 season

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Frances Tiafoe enjoyed another rollercoaster season on the ATP Tour in 2024, finishing the year as world number 18.

It wasn’t the easiest year on the ATP Tour for one of America’s most entertaining stars in 2024.

Tiafoe struggled for large parts of the season, failing to pick up a tour-level title despite reaching two finals.

He did however take part in a classic at Wimbledon earlier this year, as Tiafoe lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.

Tiafoe then lost to Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Masters final, another tough defeat to one of the sport’s greatest players.

His stature within the game continued to grow which saw him selected to play in a post-season exhibition event in Charlotte, where Tiafoe faced off against Alcaraz once more.

A huge name in the sport, but one that hasn’t quite been able to pick up the big titles on tour as of yet, something that one ATP legend thinks is ‘weird’.

Andy Roddick questions whether Frances Tiafoe can be a ‘top five guy’ all year round in 2025

Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, former world number one Andy Roddick gave his thoughts on Tiafoe’s 2024 season.

“I think by his own admission he would tell you his year started at Wimbledon,” he said.

“He was barely winning back-to-back matches aside from Houston, and had a really bad start to the year, so you can digest that a couple of ways.

“What went wrong, I’m sure he has had a lot of time to think about that, then he almost beats [Carlos] Alcaraz on Centre Court at Wimbledon, kind of out of nowhere.

“Then has a really good summer, starts in [Washington] DC, makes a run there to the semis, Finals in Cincinnati.”

Roddick went on to analyze Tiafoe’s performances at the US Open and questioned whether he could start to show that form throughout the rest of the year.

“It’s weird because if he is 20 in the world for every other part of the world, he is top five in the world when he gets to the US Open,” he said.

“It’s the most predictable thing ever, that if he is seeded 25 for the US Open you can slot him into the quarters and it’s show time.

“He is someone who the brighter the lights, the brighter that smile gets.

“He is a joy to watch and be around and he would probably tell you ‘I want to be consistent’.

“Am I a top five guy?

“Can I produce the level that I have consistently produced at the US Open for 15 weeks a year?”

Roddick’s co-host Jon Wertheim agreed with the former US Open champion but questioned whether Tiafoe has become too focused on winning in New York.

“I think sometimes we may conflate personal fondness for Frances [Tiafoe] with tennis fondness, I am starting to change my tune on him,” he said.

“I wonder if he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself.

“He was sub 500 on the year going into Wimbledon and he makes no bones about the fact it’s New York and it’s show time.

“His record in New York speaks for himself but I do wonder sometimes how does he replicate that level of engagement for 11 months a year.

“I wonder now if maybe he puts a little bit too much emphasis on one tournament.”

Has Frances Tiafoe really been a top-five standard player at the US Open?

Roddick certainly seems to think that when tennis heads to New York for the US Open, Tiafoe suddenly becomes a top-five player but is that really the case?

In the last three years, Tiafoe has reached the quarter-finals once, and the last four twice at Flushing Meadows, consistently reaching the latter stages of the tournament.

Tiafoe has earned 2,000 ATP points at the US Open over the past three seasons, leaving him just behind the three champions at the event.

Data like that not only proves Roddick right, but begs the question as to whether Tiafoe can finally go one further in 2025 and reach a maiden Grand Slam final.

The 26-year-old came close on both occasions when he reached the last four, losing out in the fifth set to Alcaraz back in 2022 before Tiafoe lost to Taylor Fritz earlier this year.

Having led by two sets to one, Tiafoe couldn’t quite get over the line against his fellow American as his run in New York came to an end.

He’ll be hoping to enjoy another strong run at the US Open next year, but won’t want to wait till then for his first strong Grand Slam showing of 2025, as he gets his Major campaign underway at the Australian Open on January 12.