Remember that dramatic showdown at last year’s ATP World Tour Finals? American top seed Taylor Fritz was there, battling under the brightest spotlights, yet fell short against the Italian powerhouse, Jannik Sinner. And since then, the road hasn’t been kind: from a third-round AO exit to a Miami Open SF heartbreak and a French Open 1st-round shocker. But as the grass court came calling, he dropped a solid performance at the Boss Open and with it, a piping hot take on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Well, the rivalry between Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has taken the tour by storm. After all, the French Open final was a showdown for the ages, a dramatic battle that stretched nearly 5 hours and 29 minutes. Sinner fell in a painful 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2) comeback by Carlos Alcaraz, a match so close it left the Italian superstar sleepless in the nights that followed, a raw, human side to a warrior who normally shows no weakness.
As their rivalry tilts 8-4 in Alcaraz’s favor, both men now march toward Wimbledon with a mission to conquer the All England Club’s grass-court thrown in a couple of weeks. However, before that, Fritz gave his opinion on the Sinner versus Alcaraz rivalry on clay courts and offered his predictions for his chances on grass as well.
Recently, in a short but piercing interview with Tennis Channel, Taylor Fritz opened up about the thunderous rivalry between the Italian Jannik Sinner and Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz: a showdown that’s igniting the ATP tour like a wildfire. “they’re showing time and time again that they are just level above right now, and everyone else is going to have to catch up. But I think it’s motivating for a lot of us to see that level and know what we have to compete against and what we have to work towards,” Fritz declared.
He didn’t stop there. “On a slow surface like Roland Garros with the slow ball, I think in those conditions, it really does look like a level up across the board. I mean, there’s certain shots and specific things that people can or do better or compete with,” he added, indicating he may have to work on his game to reach the Alcaraz’s or Sinner’s level on slower surfaces. However, Taylor Fritz isn’t just resting on past calamities, especially at the clay-court disaster recently, though, as he’s already casting a piercing gaze toward the grass-court season, a surface that feels like home under his feet. “But I mean, I absolutely like my chances more on a Grass court than on a slow clay court,” he insisted.
Well, grass is a surface tailored for his explosive style, where his strong hands at the net and thunderous serve become powerful weapons against anyone across the net. So far, five of his nine titles have come on hard courts, while the other four have come on grass.
In fact his fourth grass title came on Sunday at the BOSS Open where he got the better of World No. 3 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(0). His serves were unstoppable as he racked up 11 aces and won 88 per cent of his first-serve points. However, does the relentless pursuit of glory negatively impact mental health? Well, he feels it, but he is a class apart and knows how to deal with extreme pressure!
Taylor Fritz opens up about how he skips psychologist-aimed mental health issues
Taylor Fritz’s very public struggle with mental health has been a difficult but ultimately inspiring journey of self-discovery and resilience. The 2022 Indian Wells winner made a dramatic move last year when he quit playing the popular video game FIFA to find peace in his own mind. The pressure of losing online matchups gnawed at him, threatening his confidence and peace, prompting him to put down the controller and take a step back for his own well-being.
In 2023 as well, Fritz opened up about not loving to watch much tennis, a confession that struck many, considering his success on the tour. Now, as Wimbledon looms large and the world tunes in, the 4th-ranked American is letting his true thoughts fly. “This is, maybe this is something that’s a, I don’t know if there’s probably an unpopular opinion. But in my mind, when it comes to like dealing with pressure on the court and playing and all this stuff, I’ve always thought it’s something you either just like have or you don’t have,” he added recently.
The American also questioned the idea that a psychologist could provide guidance for moving forward. “But someone like a, like a psychologist or something. Yeah. It’s very hard for me to believe how they’re gonna tell me, how to handle this situation. Better than someone who, you know, as someone who hasn’t been there, so.”
As the HSBC Championship kicks off today at the ‘Andy Murray Arena’, all eyes are on the American ace. Will he carry his Boss Open form forward and conquer the 26-year-old Frenchman Corentin Moutet in a triumphing start? What do you think?
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