Taylor Fritz was in total control of a player he has dominated on the ATP World Tour when he decided to do something the normally respectful player never had done before – he mocked his opponent on court.
At 6-4 2-0 after winning a point with a drop shot/lob combination over the diminutive Baez, Fritz suddenly did a gesture of holding his left hand down a foot above the court, while running toward the Team USA box… a clear insult at Baez’s shorter stature of five-foot seven inches.
Karma and poetic justice would strike down the six-foot five, 28 year old Fritz who would then lose the United Cup match to the 25 year old Baez 64 57 46. After the defeat an enraged Fritz broke his Head Radical racquet over his right knee. Fritz had previously beaten Baez all five times they played from 2022-2024 – Cincinnati, Indian Wells twice , Paris Indoors, Madrid – and all were decisive wins in straight sets.
It’s very rare to see a higher ranked elite player with a squeaky clean perfect image like Fritz, ranked 6 in the world, direct a mocking taunt to a far lower ranked challenger like Baez who is ranked 45. And what made the incident even more curious is that Fritz has a history of being a fair, gentleman sportsman who has never before been involved in any kind of on court controversy in his pro career which began in 2015.
But the truth of the matter is, such behavior as expressed in the heat of a battle by Fritz is natural, and it is good for tennis because it makes the theater of the match more interesting and it gets tennis fans buzzing. Who could forget the Kyrgios/Wawrinka/Vekic/Kokkinakis episode in Cincinnati or the Boris Becker flirting with Brooke Shields while playing Andre Agassi in a Grand Slam match or John McEnroe having Jimmy Connors’ finger pointed at his chest or Venus Williams bumping into Irina Spirlea on Ashe Stadium?
Team USA would rebound from Fritz’s loss to Baez with Gauff winning her singles match 61 61 vs Solana Sierra and then Gauff and Christian Harrison won the doubles 64 61 vs Guido Andreozzi and Maria Carle.
Sebastian Baez · Taylor Fritz · United Cup
Steve · January 4, 2026 at 10:49 am
I’ve seen Fritz do this gesture before in other matches. I’m not sure what it means but I was rooting for Baez.
I got to watch Baez practice up close with Thiem after Thiem’s injury and mainstream tennis fans no longer cared about the Austrian. It was just me and two others. Baez matched Thiem’s intensity which was shocking because only Nadal was known to practice that hard. When Thiem had a chance to win one more title in 2023 in Austria it was Baez that won. That day I was rooting for Thiem.
For Fritz it might be time to replace muscles Russell and/or add a former slam champion to his team. He has the money to do it. Fritz believes but would need Sinner to and Alcaraz to be eliminated.
Scoop Malinowski · January 5, 2026 at 8:39 am
Steve, Thiem is the hardest practicer I ever saw, I watched him with Gulbis and Bresnik, he would go all out on every ball in every drill, it was astounding to see anyone train that hard. And every time I saw him practice it was the same level of intensity, Miami, US Open, didn’t matter. The contrast was so obvious, Gulbis just went through the motions in the drills, but Thiem was 150%. I remember when Thiem was about 30 in the world, Ryan Harrison came to watch his match on court 2 at Miami Open, apparently to draw inspiration and check out this kid that was making waves in ATP at such a young age. Fritz has a mean streak, I saw him practice in Delray Beach when he was very young maybe his first year, he was in a bad mood and yelled at his coach David Nainkin at the time, “Don’t talk in the middle of a point!” People don’t remember but it took a few years for Fritz to find his confidence at the ATP level, he struggled for a few years. Baez plays the game the right way, he is a vicious competitor but in a gentlemanly manner. Maybe the Fritz gesture is to say, This guy is my little dog.
Steve · January 5, 2026 at 7:16 pm
Watching Thiem practice was inspiring for sure. Interesting that Fritz has a mean streak. The main thing I noticed in his early years as a pro was that his lateral movement was lacking but he’s maximized it now.
Scoop Malinowski · January 5, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Thiem’s body burned out though, when you train that hard your whole life and pro career, at that level of relentless ferocity every day, it’s no surprise he was finished early. Fritz was pushed hard into in tennis by both parents, he never had a choice really, credit to him and his parents for making it to the top and staying there. Showing some fire, fury, arrogance as he did vs Baez on court just could be the missing ingredient that he needs to climb even higher to the next level. Suppressing his true character and competitive arrogance/supremacy could have been holding him back. He’s been stagnated in the rankings for about 3-4 years, he has to try different approaches and mental tactics too. If he really really wants it?
Steve · January 6, 2026 at 3:55 pm
I read an article that said Fritz had started to prefer soccer as a kid but his Dad tricked him to playing tennis again. I thought I also saw that his Dad wasn’t welcome to his first marriage ceremony but they bonded again when he won Indian Wells.
I have way more faith in him than Zverev or Tistsi in a big spot.
Scoop Malinowski · January 6, 2026 at 4:54 pm
Steve, Guy Fritz also coached Agassi for a short while, Taylor told me in a Biofile. Not sure about those other details but I was told by an insider why his parents split, can’t write it here or who the third party was but it’s a well known name.
Sam · January 14, 2026 at 3:14 am
Taylor Fritz?? Make that Taylor Ditz. ðŸ¤
Scoop Malinowski · January 14, 2026 at 8:24 am
Bad move by Fritz but the tennis media ignored it. Basavareddy did another bad act by doing the choke gesture after he beat Ofner in AO qualies 2R from 1-7 down in the match tiebreak, which Ofner thought he won at 7-1 but had to win three more points for ten but he failed and Basavreddy won 13-11. American players are starting to act imperfectly on court, maybe such displays of cocky arrogance will he helpful to their future success.
Sam · January 24, 2026 at 4:48 am
Maybe such displays of cocky arrogance will he helpful to their future success.
Who knows? If the players don’t experience much pushback, those displays will likely continue.
Scoop Malinowski · January 24, 2026 at 8:04 am
Fritz got away with that scott free. Was a minor insult but still, if another less establishment accepted player did that, he or she would have been crucified.