Frances Tiafoe Smashes His Yonex Tennis Racket in Japan

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 1:24 PM ET

Slumps are normal for tennis players. Luckily, the season is a marathon and always offers slumping players another chance to work their way back into rhythm. Earlier this year, Frances Tiafoe was credited for staying in Europe to work his way through a tough clay campaign.

With the exception of a solid finish to the end of the clay court season, most of this year has been bad for Tiafoe. The American tennis star has sunk to ATP World No.29 and has a record of 26-22 after today's loss to Marton Fucsovics.

Fucsovics entered the Japan Open Tennis Championships as a qualifier and upset the eighth-seeded Tiafoe in a thrilling second-round match. After losing the tiebreak, Tiafoe wasted no time in smashing his racket. Check out the social media video shared by the Tennis Channel below.

What an end to a thriller in Tokyo ️

Marton Fucsovics crushes a winner to upset Tiafoe 3-6, 6-1, 7-5!#kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/JowLbHJ3dO
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 24, 2025

To his credit, Tiafoe pulled himself together quickly and congratulated his opponent at the net. However, he had already committed a metaphorical double fault with his racket.

Yonex has a reputation for taking great pride in its equipment and discouraging players from smashing their rackets on court. Even worse, it transpired in Tokyo, Japan (where the sportswear company is headquartered).

Luckily for Tiafoe, the season moves forward, and he will have a chance to get back on track at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in China next week. Unfortunately, his path through the draw will get increasingly more difficult as he slides down the ATP Rankings and receives a worse seeding.

Tokyo debut is a big W

Fucsovics upsets Tiafoe 3-6 6-1 7-5 for his first Top 30 win since April!#kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/olIEnvp7rK
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 24, 2025

Performance and tennis rackets aside, Tiafoe is otherwise having a strong year in the sportswear industry. The 27-year-old signed an ambassadorship deal with lululemon and has drawn rave reviews for all of his on-court kits — especially at the Grand Slam tournaments.

Meanwhile, the World No.58 Fucsovics improves to 20-10 today and will face either Jordan Thompson or Brandon Nakashima in the Round of 16 tomorrow, September 25.

The Japan Open runs through Sunday, October 5.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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