"Novak Djokovic mentally, he got exposed; tennis-wise, Nick Kyrgios played a better match"

Frances Tiafoe believes that Nick Kyrgios should have won the 2022 Wimbledon Championships as he was the better player in the final against Novak Djokovic.

Kyrgios, playing in his maiden Grand Slam final, took the first set against Djokovic in the title match at SW19, before the Serbian bounced back to win the next three sets and seal his seventh grass Major title.

Tiafoe, speaking at a press conference following his 2022 US Open first-round defeat of Marcos Giron, was asked if lower-ranked men could win the Majors à la the women's circuit. The American responded in the affirmative and took the example of Kyrgios coming close to doing so at Wimbledon earlier this year.

"I totally think so. You think where Nick was at. I mean, I say it straight out, I think he should have won Wimbledon. I think he was the better player in that final. Novak mentally, he got exposed. That's where the experience kicked in for Novak. I think tennis-wise, Nick played a better match," he said.

The 24-year-old backed up his claim by saying that big-name players like Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic are not in their prime anymore, which makes it an even contest when facing them.

"There's guys that can do that. I mean, I've beaten guys in big matches, slams, big courts. Just a matter of doing it for two weeks, getting the rest, make quarterfinals, bunch of fourth rounds," he said.

"Again, it's not like you got to beat Murray in his prime and DelPo, Fed. It's not the case any more. I mean, guys are good, but the level is not as drastic. Like Novak, as well. I think anybody can win. I mean, anyone who's really got the game," he added.

Frances Tiafoe through to 2022 US Open 2R

Frances Tiafoe in action at the 2022 US Open.

Frances Tiafoe began his 2022 US Open campaign with a straight-sets win against fellow American Marcos Giron on Tuesday. The 24-year-old battled in windy conditions to beat his compatriot 7-6(0), 6-4, 6-3 on Court 17.

There was little to separate the Americans in the opening set, which went to a tie-break, with Tiafoe winning all seven points to take a one-set lead. He fared much better in the next two sets to seal the win, registering 39 winners to 35 unforced errors.

He will next face the winner of the match between Mikael Ymer and Jason Kubler, which was suspended due to rain with the latter leading 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 1-2.

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Tiafoe is now set to make a fifth consecutive US Open second-round appearance and will be hoping to make it to the second week in New York for a third consecutive year. Mardy Fish (2010 to 2012) was the last American man to do so.