Frances Tiafoe's controversial claim about losing to 'clowns': A look into the American's recent defeats and why he was wrong to say so

Frances Tiafoe, the 29th seed from the United States, beat Matteo Arnaldi of Italy 6-7(5) 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-3 in the first round of Wimbledon on Monday, July 1. Tiafoe has had a pretty ordinary season so far, having lost in the second round of the French Open and the first round at Queen's Club. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 10 in August 2023, but has plummeted to No. 29 thereafter.

The American won a couple of ATP 250 tournaments in Houston and Stuttgart in 2023 but failed to defend both titles this year. That caused him to drop 500 points, thereby affecting his ranking.

Tiafoe said in a press conference after defeating Arnaldi:

"It’s brutal. Highs and lows. Think about where I’m at. Literally, this week last year, I was 10 in the world, and now I’m barely seeded here. Losing to clowns, I hate to say it, but I’m just gonna be honest," Frances Tiafoe said.

Is Frances Tiafoe's claim justified?

It is true that the 26-year-old American has had some unexpected defeats to less-fancied players during the past year or so, but that list surely does not contain any "clowns".

Frances Tiafoe lost to higher-ranked players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, each of whom has been a more consistent performer than Tiafoe in the recent past. Tsitsipas won the Monte-Carlo Masters this year and Paul the cinch Championships at Queen's Club; Shelton won the title in Houston, defeating Tiafoe in the final.

Aside from the above three, he also lost to Jack Draper, Pedro Cachin and Shang Juncheng, each of whom has shown steady progress of late. Shang, for example, jumped more than 60 places to attain a career-high ranking of World No. 89 in May.

Another player on the list is Denis Shapovalov, who is a former top-10 player and a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2021. He surely has more pedigree than Tiafoe as a player.

Yes, Tiafoe's defeats to Rinky Hijikata, Dominik Koepfer (twice) and Arthur Rinderknech were unexpected, but those players are also placed inside the top-100 in the world and are no pushovers.

It was good to see in a sense that the 26-year-old American did not resort to false modesty and instead spoke his mind in front of the media after the match. However, he should have been more careful while choosing his words.

"Clown" is definitely not a word that should be used to describe a fellow professional athlete. Tiafoe should have been more discreet and did not set a good example for young players who look up to him. It was not the right way to vent one's frustration.

Tennis fans worldwide have criticized Frances Tiafoe's remarks, with one tweeting:

"A real clown calling other tennis players clown."

Tiafoe's spiteful remarks have certainly damaged his reputation, at least among fans. It remains to be seen how his fellow players, especially those who beat him in the last few weeks, respond to the claims.

The American, meanwhile, would hope for renewed success at Wimbledon. He takes on 2022 Cincinnati Masters champion Borna Coric next.