Frances Tiafoe refuses to be overawed by the staggering dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ahead of the US Open, while also acknowledging that the two would remain at the helm for the foreseeable future. Tiafoe asserted that beating Alcaraz and Sinner was essential to winning a Grand Slam before exuding confidence in his own ability to prevail against the dominant duo.
Sinner and Alcaraz battled each other in the final of the 2025 French Open and at Wimbledon, with the Spaniard triumphing at Roland Garros. After winning the US Open last year, Sinner reigned supreme at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this season.
The two also clashed in the final of the Italian Open and the Cincinnati Open. Carlos Alcaraz broke Sinner’s 26-match winning streak in Rome before lifting the trophy in Cincinnati following his rival’s mid-match retirement.
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"It is what it is. If you want to win a Grand Slam right now, you have to go through Jannik and Carlos. They're impressive players, very young, and they'll be at the top for a long time. However, you can't just bow down to them. If we want to achieve special things, we have to beat them. And I believe I can do that," he observed as per Punto de Break.
Tiafoe, who lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a marathon five-setter in the semifinals of the 2022 US Open, reached the semifinals of the New York Major for a second time last year but was unable to get past compatriot Taylor Fritz.
While Tiafoe trails Alcaraz 1-2 in the head-to-head numbers, the American has lost to Sinner four times with a lone win back in 2021 to show for his efforts.
"Jannik Sinner is the iceman, Carlos Alcaraz plays to the crowd" - Frances Tiafoe on what makes the two champions different
As part of the same interaction, Frances Tiafoe delved into the contrasting playing styles of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, referring to the World No. 1 as the "iceman". While stressing that the two are very different, the 27-year-old explained that, unlike Sinner, Alcaraz plays to the crowd and gets the fans involved.
"They are very different. Jannik is the iceman. Carlos plays to the crowd and gets the fans involved. One hits the ball like crazy, the other has an all-court game. They move around each other in a formidable way, and it all makes for some impressive matches," Tiafoe stated.
Frances Tiafoe also predicted that Carlos Alcaraz would eventually win more Grand Slams than Sinner, but opined that their juggernaut would be interrupted at some stage.
"Honestly, it's super close, but if I had to choose, I'd go with Carlos . That said, I don't think they'll dominate forever. At some point, someone will interrupt them," Tiafoe added.
Frances Tiafoe will take on Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan in the opening round of the US Open.
