Year report Taylor Fritz: A strong double - with at least two highlights
Taylor Fritz made it into the top ten of the ATP world rankings for the first time in the 2022 season. And won his first title in an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The annual report is accordingly very positive.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Dec 05, 2022, 05:12 pm
Anyone who saw Taylor Fritz, somewhat exhausted, sneaking across the court in the Wiener Stadthalle in autumn - and comparing this with the American's inspiring performances at the ATP Finals in Turin, could think that they were two different people. What has been Fritz's core problem for years: the lack of consistency. And also the physical condition that it takes to play at the top.
In 2022, the heights predominated, which is also reflected in ninth place in the ATP annual ranking. But there have also been a few colossal blows, and not just at the US summer tournaments.
Let's start with the positives:
- Taylor Fritz has won a tournament in the ATP Masters 1000 category for the first time. In Indian Wells, where Fritz stopped Rafael Nadal's winning streak in the final (admittedly, Rafa was already so injured that he had to take a break of several weeks due to injury).
- With Eastbourne and Tokyo, two more titles have been added, which is good news after almost three years of slack (Fritz also won in Eastbourne in 2019).
- And: as another premiere, Fritz not only made it into the top ten players in the rankings, but also to the ATP Finals. The fact that the 25-year-old slipped into the field as a substitute for Carlos Alcaraz doesn't have to bother him.
However, there are a few restrictions:
- Globally, four career titles is not enough for a man like Taylor Fritz.
- The loss at the US Open in round one against Brandon Holt was probably the absolute low point of the year. Also in Montreal (round of 16 defeat against Daniel Evans) and Cincinnati (quarter-final defeat against Daniil Medvedev) it was not enough for higher consecration. And especially in Summer Swing, Fritz wanted to show off.
- And then there was the quarter-finals in Wimbledon against Rafael Nadal: Rafa was hit again and could no longer serve with speed from the second set. And Taylor Fritz still managed not to win this match.
In the end, however, there are 46 match wins in the annual record, including the very last game that Fritz won against Lorenzo Musetti in the Davis Cup final round in Málaga. That didn't help the Americans - but a leader could grow in the person of Taylor Fritz, who could also be supported by contemporaries like Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe or the younger guard around Sebastian Korda.
Overall rating: two.