WATCH: Heated scenes as Frances Tiafoe furiously smashes racket 4 times in a row after shocking Japan Open loss to World No. 58 in 1R

Frances Tiafoe's frustrations boiled over in the immediate aftermath of his shocking first-round loss to Marton Fucsovics at the ongoing 2025 Japan Open. Tiafoe, the World No. 29, was the favorite on paper to secure a win against Fucsovics, the 58th-ranked player in the ATP Tour's singles rankings. However, it was the Hungarian who prevailed, winning the encounter 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Clearly annoyed with himself over his underwhelming display at Tokyo's Ariake Tennis Forest Park on Wednesday, September 24, a furious Tiafoe smashed his racket four times before heading to the net to shake hands with Fucsovics. Watch the heated moment unfold below:

The result also sees Marton Fucsovics establish a 3-2 head-to-head lead against Frances Tiafoe. The American, who was the eighth seed in Tokyo this time around, reached the final of the Japan Open back in 2022, but on that occasion, he had to settle for second-best at the last hurdle, as compatriot Taylor Fritz came out on top with a 7-6(3), 7-6(2) win.

Tiafoe's overall form in 2025 so far has been concerning, with the American making deep runs at only a handful of events. The three-time career singles titlist's best display this year came at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston in early April. Here, the 27-year-old made his way to the final, but lost to compatriot Jenson Brooksby.

Even at the US Open, where historically he has produced his best performances, Tiafoe suffered an upset, after which he cut a dejected figure in front of reporters.

"I haven't been this down for a very, very long time" - Frances Tiafoe following US Open 3R exit

Frances Tiafoe in action at the 2025 US Open (Source: Getty)

At this year's US Open, Frances Tiafoe clashed against Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round. At the time, the German was the World No. 144 and had to qualify to reach the men's singles main draw, while Tiafoe was the 17th seed. Shockingly, Struff registered a rather straightforward 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) victory.

Reflecting on his dire performance against Struff, Tiafoe told reporters at a post-match press conference:

"It’s going to be hard to swallow how I played today and being out of the US Open this early. I haven’t been this down in a very, very long time."

Not long after his forgettable campaign at Flushing Meadows, Frances Tiafoe experienced another disappointment at the 2025 Davis Cup qualifiers, as he and the rest of Team USA crashed out in the second round following a 2-3 loss to the Czech Republic.

Edited by Sudipto Pati