Taylor Fritz won his match today in Sardegna, Italy vs Andrej Martin 62 76 in the round of 16 and the win propelled the 23 year old American to become the highest ranked American tennis player, surpassing John Isner.
Fritz has won one career singles title and since turning pro in 2015 and has accomplished a 106-106 won/loss record, good enough to earn $4,348, 199 in prize money.
Isner has held bragging rights honors in America for almost a decade, with Jack Sock overtaking him three years ago. Sock briefly was ranked in the top ten after winning Paris Masters and reaching semis at WTF.
Fritz, coached by David Nainkin and Paul Annacone, must deal with several threats to his American supremacy, particularly from Sebastian Korda, Brandon Nakashima, Reilly Opelka, Tommy Paul, Tennys Sandgren, Frances Tiafoe and perhaps Isner.
Nike · Taylor Fritz · USA Tennis
Scoop Malinowski · April 9, 2021 at 10:09 am
Pato Rodriguez, who coached several top ten pro players, said there was a key to good tennis player. Footwork. Can’t be a good player without good footwork. Fritz beat Bedene and is now in the semis of Sardegna.
Cory · April 11, 2021 at 11:15 pm
Fritz has had some impressive results – at times – and other times some real head-scratchers. I’m no expert at grooming tennis champs, but IMO Fritz needs to work on his mental game. Too many times I see him shaking his head, talking to himself, having a bizarre bad string of pressure points. I don’t find him so reliable. That said, he has unmistakable top-30 talent (maybe better).
Scoop Malinowski · April 12, 2021 at 8:52 am
Cory I like Fritz a lot, his head is right, he’s a super competitor, Opelka is the one who gets too negative and does not look like he’s enjoying the battle, enjoying the process (the last time I will ever use that obscenely overused cliche!). Fritz is a warrior and he’s ambitious to be no. 1. My defining moment for Fritz was his first AO qualies as a teenager. Final round of qualies up a set and in control of the second set vs Mischa Zverev, just a few points away from qualifying for his first major main draw. He choked the second set and fell down 0-4 in the third set, and then suddenly reeled off a bagel to win the set 64 and quali for AO where he lost to Sock in five sets in the 1R. Fritz has something special, he’s going to be the top American for a while if Korda and Nakashima don’t pass him which I believe they both will.