As we approach the prestigious grass courts of Wimbledon, Taylor Fritz strives to reclaim his position as the No.1 American. Despite an impressive 2024 season, Fritz was recently pipped by compatriot Tommy Paul, who clinched the top American spot after his victory at Queen’s Club.
Fritz’s journey this year has been marked by significant improvements, particularly on clay. His first clay-court endeavor in Munich saw him reach the final, where home-hero Jan-Lennard Struff narrowly defeated him.
Taylor Fritz on Clay in 2024
At the Madrid Open, he reached the semifinals but was defeated by Andrey Rublev who upset the American 6-4 6-3. His campaign at the Italian Open took him to the quarterfinals, where he faced Alexander Zverev. His effort was valiant but Zverev converted three of his five break-point chances and hit 20 winners. Fritz succumbed to Zverev’s aggressive play, losing 6-4, 6-3.
Roland Garros presented another opportunity for Fritz to demonstrate his clay-court capabilities. Seeded No. 12, he faced Federico Coria in the first round but encountered scheduling issues that left him minimal preparation time. Like players such as Novak Djokovic, Fritz had also complained about the scheduling of the Grand Slam. His match against Coria was pushed back, giving him less time to prepare and warm up.
Fritz said, “We were about 30 minutes out of the match before, it was a three out of five men’s match, so it’s pretty safe that it is going to be at least two hours.
“So I was just chilling on the couch in the locker room and I’m under the impression there is a minimum two hours before I play and they tell me I’m on in 30 minutes.
“It’s really tough when they tell me I’m on in 30 minutes, which I pushed for. I said no chance, and pushed it to 45 minutes. But it’s still so tough to mentally prepare to go on in that time when I had it set in my mind that it was a minimum of two and a half hours.”
Perhaps it was the lack of preparation as he seemed to be finding his feet in the first set which the Argentine took 6-2. However, once he was switched on, the American took the remaining sets with ease, winning the match 6-2 6-2 6-1.
In the second round of the tournament, he faced Dušan Lajović. He defeated the Serb in four sets, taking 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4. He advanced to face Thanasi Kokkinakis. The Australian had advanced to the third round after defeating compatriot Alexei Popyrin and Giulio Zeppieri in thrilling five-setters. He showed the same fighting spirit against Fritz. The effort was gallant between them and the match three hours and 48 minutes. The pair of them hit 113 winners between them but Fritz got the better of Kokkinakis in the end. Fritz won 6-3 6-2 6(4)-7 5-7 6-3.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, the American faced Casper Ruud in the fourth round. The first set was close with the Norwegian taking it 7-6(6). Fritz fought back hard and took the second set. He was, however, unable to continue this momentum with Ruud taking the final two. The match ended 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 with Fritz out of the tournament.
Switch to Grass
On grass, Fritz’s form has been strong. At Queen’s Club, he reached the quarterfinals, defeating Taro Daniel and Milos Raonic before falling to Jordan Thompson, who displayed a strong showing, defeating him 6-4 6-3.
Most recently, he took the Eastbourne International title for the third time. He dominated the tournament, not dropping a single set and defeating Thiago Seyboth Wild, Shang Juncheng, Aleksandr Vukic, and Tom Purcell in the final. In the final, Fritz showed control, serving nine aces to take the win 6-4 6-3. His victory at Eastbourne marked his second title of the year and his eighth ATP Tour title overall.
“This has been the best I have been serving on grass,” said Fritz.
His consistency on grass echoes his readiness for Wimbledon, so he’s definitely a player to watch. With recent victories and a strong record on grass, he is poised to make a strong bid for success at the All England Club and a possible reclamation of his position as the top American player.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports