Tennis has changed a lot over the past few decades….
Between 2003 and 2023, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic dominated tennis.
The trio, better known as the ‘big three’, won a combined 66 Grand Slam titles and held the ATP number one ranking for 947 weeks.
Since 2023, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have taken their place at the top of the tennis mountain, winning the last eight Grand Slams.
Commenting on the current state of tennis, Frances Tiafoe explained what is now happening, which he hasn’t seen in over 20 years.
Frances Tiafoe thinks the ATP Tour is ‘open’ after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Appearing as a guest on the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘, the two-time US Open semifinalist shared why he is so excited heading into 2026.
“The Tour is kind of open,” said Tiafoe.
“It feels to me like before Rafa [Nadal] and Novak [Djokovic] and [Roger] Federer and those guys kind of happened.
“It really is open. From three to 100, with the guy winning in Shanghai [Valentin Vacherot].
What has been the biggest shock of the 2025 season?
“It’s an exciting time in that sense, and when you think about it, at the end of a Slam you have to beat two guys rather than three guys, and a lot of times the four guys in the semis were already a lock.
“I just think there is a big opening in tennis and that’s what I am really excited about.”
Tiafoe insists he still believes he can beat the world number one and two.
“I still don’t think these guys are unbeatable. I struggle to believe that. I have to think that way,” he said.
“I have played Carlos [Alcaraz] twice, and I lost to him in five.
“He has won two slams, and I feel like I missed out on that. I lost to him at Wimbledon, and I felt that was one I let go.
Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2024 Wimbledon – 3R | Carlos Alcaraz | Frances Tiafoe | 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 |
| 2022 US Open – SF | Carlos Alcaraz | Frances Tiafoe | 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2021 Barcelona Open – 1R | Frances Tiafoe | Carlos Alcaraz | 6-4, 7-6 |
“At the [US] Open, I was hanging on for dear life. But at Wimbledon, I really felt like I was up with a couple of 0-30s.
“Why am I playing otherwise? Are they very tough to beat? Absolutely.
“Hence why they are winning every tournament they mostly enter in but if you are telling me the whole tour, you have a shot, and then at the end of the week you have to beat two guys, I will take that.”
Tiafoe shared his first impressions of the pair and drew comparisons between them and the ‘big three’.
“I knew [Jannik] Sinner was going to be really good. I played him at Next Gen when he was first coming out, and I was like This guy is going to be good,” he said.
Frances Tiafoe and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2024 Cincinnati Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Frances Tiafoe | 7-6, 6-2 |
| 2023 Vienna Open – QF | Jannik Sinner | Frances Tiafoe | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2021 Vienna Open – SF | Frances Tiafoe | Jannik Sinner | 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 |
| 2019 Next Gen Finals – RR | Jannik Sinner | Frances Tiafoe | 3-4, 4-2, 4-2, 4-2 |
| 2019 European Open – QF | Jannik Sinner | Frances Tiafoe | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 |
“I played Carlos for the first time when he was 17, and everyone was talking about this guy. All the Spanish guys were like Good luck today, this guy is really good.
“I was like ‘I ain’t about losing to 17 year olds’. I got him like 5 and 6 and walked off the court thinking this dude is nasty!
“A couple of years later, we were playing in the semis of the US Open, and I thought this guy has got so much better in a two-year span, and they keep getting better.
“That’s why they stay at the top because they just keep continuing to improve.
“In comparison, those two to the big four. Obviously, I think Carlos is a combination of all of them.
“I think Sinner with the Novak movement. But with [Andre] Agassi, with everything on the hop. He is playing super fast, and you’re kind of like, you don’t see any space when you are playing against him.”
Tiafoe believes he can challenge for big titles in the future, but can he win a Grand Slam in the Sinner/Alcaraz era?
How close has Frances Tiafoe been to winning a Grand Slam?
Tiafoe made his Grand Slam debut at the 2015 French Open and has attended 38 major tournaments altogether.
Do you think Frances Tiafoe is good enough to win a Grand Slam if he fully commits?
In 38 attempts, Tiafoe has reached two semifinals and three further quarterfinals.
Frances Tiafoe’s Grand Slam performance timeline
| Grand Slam | Best performance | 2025 performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | QF – 2019 | 2R | 11-9 | 55% |
| French Open | QF – 2025 | QF | 8-10 | 44% |
| Wimbledon | 4R – 2022 | 2R | 13-8 | 62% |
| US Open | SF – 2022, 2024 | 3R | 24-11 | 69% |
Only time will tell if he can improve on his record in 2026 and reach a maiden Grand Slam final.
He’ll have a chance to do so at the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne, which begins on Sunday, January 18.
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