American tennis star Taylor Fritz is riding high after handing world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz his first loss in four meetings. Fritz stunned the Spanish sensation 6-3, 6-2 at the Laver Cup last week, snapping Alcaraz’s 13-match winning streak and helping Team World claim victory over Team Europe. While it wasn’t a Grand Slam showdown, Fritz says the win has him believing he can topple top players like Alcaraz in the biggest tournaments.
Competing in the Japan Open in Tokyo this week, Fritz opened with a solid win over Canada’s Gabriel Diallo. Speaking to Olympics.com afterward, the fifth-ranked American opened up about his newfound confidence. “I’ve felt capable of beating Carlos for a while if things click and I play well,” Fritz said. “But knocking him off last week, along with Alexander Zverev in back-to-back matches, really boosts my belief that I can do it in a major like a Grand Slam.”
Fritz, who’s chasing his first Grand Slam title, explained his mindset. “Once I do something once, it feels much easier to repeat it mentally,” he noted. “That Laver Cup match had real pressure—it felt like a big one to me. So yeah, I know I can pull it off again in a high-stakes event.”
This year, Alcaraz has dominated with a tour-leading seven titles and 61 wins, just four short of his 2023 career high. Fritz sits just behind him in the ATP rankings, with Jannik Sinner at No. 2, Zverev at No. 3, and Novak Djokovic—holder of a record 24 Grand Slam crowns—at No. 4. At the Laver Cup, Fritz also beat Zverev, but his upset over Alcaraz stole the show.
Fritz kicked off 2024 as world No. 4 and reached his first Grand Slam final at last year’s US Open, where Sinner swept him in straight sets. Heading into the Australian Open in January, he felt sharp, but a third-round exit to Gael Monfils marked his quickest major loss since 2023. Then came the setbacks—an injury sidelined him after the Aussie Open.
“I started strong but got hurt right after,” Fritz recalled. “I tried pushing through it, which led to bad habits and pain. Once I took time off, my game dipped during the clay season. But since grass courts started, I’ve rebounded big time. I’m in a solid spot now, way better than I expected at the year’s start.”
Looking ahead, Fritz eyes a strong finish at the ATP Finals in Turin, where Sinner beat him in last year’s championship match. He wants to challenge the new generation stars like Sinner and Alcaraz for a major trophy—and maybe even the world No. 1 spot. “My top goal is winning a Grand Slam,” Fritz said. “If I do that, then I can think about climbing to No. 1.”
With Djokovic’s future uncertain over the next few years, Fritz sees an opening. “Right now, it’s basically Carlos, Jannik, and a handful of us like me and Sasha fighting for it,” he added. “I’m working hard to be right in that mix.” At 27, the California native proved last week he can hang with the elite—now, can he deliver in a massive Grand Slam? Tennis fans are watching closely.
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