Frances Tiafoe urged to go sleeveless by ex-American pro if he hopes to rediscover his form after Indian Wells disaster

Former American tennis star Steve Johnson weighed in on Frances Tiafoe's unusual 'full-sleeve' outfit choice at Indian Wells, which, according to him, is hampering his game in the tournament. The American had a heartbreaking exit from the second round of the ongoing BNP Paribas Open.

Tiafoe had quite a positive start to the tournament as he took on Damir Džumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina in his first round. He won in a grueling 7-6(4), 7-6(7) match and advanced to the Round of 32, only to falter against Japan's Yosuke Watanuki in straight sets.

In the latest episode of The Nothing Major Podcast hosted by Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, John Isner, and Steve Johnson - the former pros got into a conversation regarding the outfit of their compatriot Tiafoe. Johnson, in particular, was loud in protesting against his current kit and blamed his current performance on the full-sleeve tee.

"He's [Frances Tiafoe] got to cut the sleeves off dude he's not playing so good with sleeves on. He's lost all his powers when he wears like shirts with sleeves like he needs to go cut off. He's got to let the arms free. I think that's an issue for him," he said (23:56 onwards).

Johnson also suggested that Tiafoe should replan his entire kit with his sponsor Lululemon and wear something that flatters his biceps.

"He's got to talk to Lulu about this and get some like just tank tops out there to play and the guy's guns are.. he's got to, you got to let him go out there with a with a tank top and let him play. No more sleeves on Frances's shirt," added Johnson.

Frances Tiafoe will need to work his way back to wins after a disappointing start to the 2025 season.

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What has Frances Tiafoe's 2025 run been like so far?

Frances Tiafoe at the BNP Paribas Open- Source: Getty

Frances Tiafoe had an undermining start to his season this year, with no title wins or playoff appearances yet. Following his stellar performance in the 2024 US Open, where he reached the semifinals, he has been unable to achieve any significant feats.

Even though the American has showcased some promising tennis during this year's Australian Open, he was unable to advance further than the second round of the tournament. He was met with the same fate at the subsequent tournaments in Dallas, Mexico, and now Indian Wells.

Courtesy of his performances, Tiafoe has dropped to No. 17 on the ATP rankings. He will need to tighten his loose ends and return to winning ways in his upcoming matches if he is to better his tally and add any silverware to his trophy cabinet.