A Breakout Run at Flushing Meadows
Frances Tiafoe delivered one of the most memorable US Open runs of his career, knocking out Alex Michelsen, Daniil Medvedev, and Valentin Vacherot before eventually falling to fellow American Ben Shelton in the semifinals. The deep run pushed Tiafoe to a career-high ranking of world No. 8, cementing his reputation as one of the most dangerous players at his home Grand Slam. But it was not just his tennis making headlines. After a grueling five-set victory over Michelsen, Tiafoe spoke passionately in his post-match press conference about preserving the best-of-five format at the majors, arguing that iconic matches between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer defined what a Grand Slam title truly means. His core point: winning a Slam in a best-of-three format would, in his view, carry less personal weight.
Lloyd Pushes Back Hard
Former British No. 1 John Lloyd took direct aim at those comments on the Inside-In Tennis Podcast, calling them "absolute nonsense" and insisting a switch to best-of-three sets would actually raise the quality of tennis, particularly in the early rounds. Lloyd argued that fans would quickly forget the old format ever existed and that elite players produce great matches regardless of set structure. The debate gained extra urgency throughout the tournament, as late-night matches regularly stretched past midnight. The quarterfinal between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz did not conclude until after 3:30 in the morning, illustrating exactly why reformers believe the current schedule is unsustainable. With injury concerns mounting across the ATP Tour this season, the conversation around format change is unlikely to cool down anytime soon. TennisDraw users will want to factor in these marathon-match dynamics when locking in their bracket picks for the next major.
