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  • De Minaur, Fritz Advance In Tokyo, Increase Turin Chances

    De Minaur, Fritz Advance In Tokyo, Increase Turin Chances

    Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz boosted their Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances on Tuesday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, where they both earned first-round wins.

    Australian De Minaur came through a hard-fought battle against British lefty Jack Draper, advancing 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) in three hours and four minutes.

    De Minaur rallied from a break down in the second set and broke qualifier Draper’s serve when the 21-year-old was trying to close out the match at 5-4 in the third set. The World No. 13 locked in from the baseline and started to pull the tiring Draper from corner to corner to improve to 13-4 in opening-round matches this year.

    “I think whenever someone is struggling at the end it makes it much harder to finish off,” De Minaur said. “Because you can’t focus on what you want to and you just try to make him play as many balls as possible and then he was just playing free. I think this match was won on attitude and fitness. Happy to get the win and still be alive.”

    De Minaur, who now leads Draper 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, is 13th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin on 2,515 points. He is 595 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot.

    Chasing his second title of the season, De Minaur will need a deep run in Tokyo to further increase his chances of making his debut at the prestigious year-end event. The fourth seed will next face Diego Schwartzman after the Argentine earned his 250th tour-level win.

    Schwartzman produced a rock-solid display to down countryman Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 21 minutes, backing up his run to the fourth-round in Shanghai last week.

    Diego Schwartzman
    Photo Credit: ATP Tour
    Top seed Fritz followed De Minaur onto court and moved past Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-3 in the latest chapter of the pair’s long-running Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.

    The American is the defending champion at the ATP 500 hard-court event and made a quick start to his title defence, firing 13 aces in a strong serving performance to advance after one hour and 21 minutes. Fritz now leads Norrie 7-6, with all 13 meetings coming on hard courts.

    “It was really close to lose the first set. I was thinking it was going to be a three setter,” Fritz said. “I was lucky to get the break back in the first and then I felt my level picked up and I started playing a lot more smoothly.”

    Fritz is four places above De Minaur in ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 145 points behind Rune. The 25-year-old, who reached the semi-finals on debut in Turin last year, is one of five players to earn more than 50 wins this year, with his victory against Norrie his 52nd.

    Fritz will next meet Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki or Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

    In other action, Cristian Garin beat Japan wild card Sho Shimabukuro 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, while Alexei Popyrin upset Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2.

  • Fritz Featured On Style Magazine Cover

    Fritz Featured On Style Magazine Cover

    Taylor Fritz is used to the spotlight as the United States’ highest-ranked male tennis player. However, the World No. 9 recently traded in his match kit for the glitz and glam of Style Magazine.

    Featured on the cover of the July/August issue, the 25-year-old Fritz posed in stylish sweaters and overcoats to add his name of ATP Tour stars who have made their way to magazine stands this year.

    Taylor Fritz is featured in Style Magazine.
    Photo Credit: Marco Cella/Style Magazine

    Last month, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie stepped in front Tatler’s cameras for chic photoshoot with the fashion and lifestyle magazine. A semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2022, Norrie posed alongside fellow Britons Jack Draper and Katie Boulter for the publication.

    Boulter, Norrie, Draper
    From left to right: Katie Boulter, Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper. Credit: Tatler Magazine

    Billed as “the new British tennis superstars”, the trio was photographed in retro styles fitting the storied tradition of their home major.

    The cover story, now live on Tatler’s website, begins with Alex de Minaur’s shoutout to girlfriend Boulter during an on-court interview at last year’s Wimbledon.

    Norrie and Draper are far from the only ATP stars to grace the pages of fashion magazines in recent months. In addition to Carlos Alcaraz’s February Vogue feature, both the Spaniard and Norway’s Casper Ruud have appeared on the cover of L’Equipe this year.

    Ruud also posed for Vogue Scandinavia, where he was the focus of a February spread.

    Casper Ruud
    Photo from Vogue Scandinavia

    The month of May saw Jannik Sinner appear on the cover of Sportweek in Italy, while Holger Rune featured in Icon this June in Spain. Also in June, Lorenzo Musetti was on the cover of Undici in Italy.

    Going back to January, a collection of young stars were highlighted in GQ as “the new golden age of tennis”. Among those featured and photographed were Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ruud and Rune.

    Watch this space — and your local newsstands — to keep tabs as more ATP stars step into the fashion spotlight.

  • Fritz Reaches SFs In Turin, Downs Felix In Winner-Takes-All Clash

    Fritz Reaches SFs In Turin, Downs Felix In Winner-Takes-All Clash

    With a semi-final spot on the line at the Nitto ATP Finals Thursday, it was Taylor Fritz who rose to the occasion in Turin.

    In a winner-takes-all blockbuster at the Pala Alpitour, the American clawed past Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-2 to reach the semi-finals on debut at the prestigious year-end event.

    Both entered the match holding a 1-1 record in Green Group, aiming to join Casper Ruud in the last four. In front of an electric crowd, Fritz effectively executed his aggressive game as he handled the pressure in the crucial moments. He fired 32 winners and outlasted Auger-Aliassime during the heavy-hitting exchanges in the third set, gaining the crucial break at 3-2 in the decider to advance after two hours and 44 minutes.

    “I needed to serve well the whole time, I knew that,” Fritz said. “It was frustrating throughout the match when so many points I was one away from break point. So many times at 15/30, 0/30 when I was returning, I got myself in the points and kept losing the points. I just tried to stay patient and not get frustrated and then I capitalised when I got the chances.”

    The eighth seed was strong on serve throughout the clash, finding his spots to dominate behind his delivery in the fast indoor conditions. The World No. 9 gave Auger-Aliassime few chances on return. He won 88 per cent (50/57) of his first-service points and saved all three break points he faced, roaring in delight when he sealed victory on his first match point.

    “It is huge,” Fritz said when asked about reaching the semi-finals. “From possibly not even qualifying to now be in the semis feels great. I felt like I was going to play well here. I feel that I always play my best tennis against the best players.”

    In an impressive performance, Fritz was clinical when stepping inside the baseline, winning 80 per cent of the points when attacking.

    With his 45th tour-level win of the season, Fritz has improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Auger-Aliassime. Earlier this year, the 25-year-old captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, before he soared to crowns in Eastbourne and Tokyo.

    Auger-Aliassime, who was making his debut in Turin, finishes the round-robin stage holding a 1-2 record. The 22-year-old lost to Ruud in his opening match before he defeated Nadal. In a standout season, the Canadian captured tour-level trophies in Rotterdam, Florence, Antwerp and Basel, holding a 57-27 record on the year.

  • A Wild Week For Fritz

    A Wild Week For Fritz

    Taylor Fritz on Sunday earned one of the biggest wins of his career when he defeated top seed Rafael Nadal on his Nitto ATP Finals debut. Eight days earlier, the American did not know he would be competing in the tournament.

    The 25-year-old was on vacation in Switzerland with his girlfriend Morgan Riddle when World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the season finale. Fritz’s coach, Michael Russell, received a call from his player.

    “He FaceTimed me because we were in Switzerland, but separate places. Obviously he was so excited,” Russell told ATPTour.com. “We’ve all had an amazing year. He’s been playing so well and we [had] gotten close to getting directly in and obviously [it was] unfortunate with Carlos having the ab injury. We didn’t know how serious it was and you don’t want somebody to be injured of course. Such a great player, a nice guy.

    “When he did have to pull out and Taylor got in, he was just so ecstatic. He was ecstatic obviously to come and be an alternate, but to get in directly and have a chance to play for the title, it just gives you that extra adrenaline and motivation.”


    Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
    Although Fritz and Russell both traveled to Switzerland, they were far from checked out.

    “He didn’t play well in Paris unfortunately. But we said, ‘Okay, we’re going to take a few days off, rest, recharge, go to Switzerland, use a little mini vacation’. Then [at] the beginning of this week, we went full-on with the training and used it as a preseason the first three days,” Russell said. “We trained really hard, so he was pretty sore the first few days. But we needed to have that fitness, that strength and the time on court so he could feel confident.”

    The night before playing Nadal, Fritz practised in the evening at the Pala Alpitour to create conditions as similar as possible to the match. The American then levelled his ATP Head2Head series at 2-2 against the legendary lefty with an impressive performance full of aggressive play.

    “I think I like it more [playing a top opponent like Nadal immediately] because when I play the top guys, I just always play better tennis because I know I need to. I know I’m not going to get away with anything less than my best tennis,” Fritz said. “When I have those shots on the court, ‘Should I go for it?’ I’m pulling the trigger more. I’m much more prone to play a not-so-good match against a lower-ranked person who I really, really don’t want to lose to.”

    The last time Fritz played Nadal was in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The American let slip a golden opportunity to reach his first major semi-final, falling to the Spaniard in a fifth-set tie-break. But he showed no ill effects from that defeat on Sunday in Turin.

    “In this sport you have so many matches where you play the same opponent, knowing each other and having two matches against Rafa this year. Both were tough matches. Indian Wells was straight sets, but it was a tie-break in the second set. Then Wimbledon was an epic four-and-a-half hour, five-set match,” Russell said. “Going in, you know how tough it’s going to be. But at the same time, he still has that belief that he could win every match no matter who he’s playing.”

    That belief paid dividends in Turin. Nadal is one of the best fighters in the history of sport, always finding a way to claw back into matches no matter the deficit. Fritz did not allow the 17-time Nitto ATP Finals qualifier to do that though, sprinting away with the win.

    “He knew what to expect. He knows that the crowd is going to be loud. He knows Rafa is Rafa. He’s always going to come in, he’s going to fight for every point. He’s going to find ways to try to dig out matches and Taylor knew that he was going to have to serve well, play aggressive and not get in long rallies,” Russell said. “The court is fast, [he knew he had to] use that to his advantage, really look to attack second serves when he can.”

    However impressive his win against Nadal was, Fritz cannot rest on that victory. He plays third seed and two-time major finalist Casper Ruud on Tuesday in Italy. On Thursday, this year’s Indian Wells champion will play in-form Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

    “Everybody’s going to be gunning for each other. Casper’s playing fantastic, Felix played unbelievable the rest of the fall, so you’ve got to get ready, regroup and just approach every match like it’s a final,” Russell said. “Everyone’s going to play really, really solid and be fired up. The preparation has to be the same, the mindset has to be the same. You go in with the expectation that the intensity, the focus and the energy has to be there.”

  • Nadal Philosophical After Fritz Defeat

    Nadal Philosophical After Fritz Defeat

    In just his second match in the space of 10 weeks, Rafael Nadal was defeated by the inspired debutant Taylor Fritz on Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals. Yet there was no sign of panic from the Spaniard despite his opening loss at the Pala Alpitour, where he believes one crucial factor cost him dearly in the Green Group clash.

    “It’s about time,” said Nadal at his post-match press conference. “Tennis and the sport in general, it’s about time. I have less time than him to do what I want to do on the ball. I felt that everything was going so fast. When that happens, normally you are under stress, and you don’t have the time to play the kind of shot that you want.”

    Since reaching the fourth round of the US Open while struggling with an abdominal tear in September, Nadal’s sole tour-level singles outing was a three-set defeat to Tommy Paul at the Rolex Paris Masters 11 days ago. The 36-year-old acknowledged the difficulties of taking on high-class opponents immediately after an injury lay-off.

    “In most of the points of the match, I was in a defensive position, and he was in an offensive position,” said Nadal. “That’s what happened… But every single time I came back from injury, [it’s not normal] playing against top players [from] the first day. That’s what’s happens when you are coming back playing Masters 1000s and [the Nitto ATP Finals].”

    Nadal was full of praise for Fritz, the first American singles player to compete at the season finale since John Isner in 2018. The 25-year-old showed few signs of nerves as his clean hitting pulled Nadal effectively around the court throughout the pair’s round-robin clash.

    “We can find different ways to explain what happened, at the end [of the day], Fritz played very well,” said Nadal. “I was not able to handle his power. It’s obvious that in this kind of surface, you need to play very well. You don’t have time to think for a tactic… There is no time. The things are going so quick.

    “Serving like Fritz served, then you are under pressure all the time. When somebody is serving that way, on the return he is going for every shot. [It was] just well played from him, not enough from me.”

    [FOLLOW ACTION]

    Nadal is chasing his maiden Nitto ATP Finals title this week, and despite his opening defeat the Spaniard remains in contention for the coveted year-end No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Nadal must now win the title in Turin to pip Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the race for World No. 1, but first he turns his attention to his next Green Group opponent, Felix Auger-Aliassime.

    The Canadian also fell to an opening loss on Sunday against Casper Ruud, and Nadal is aware that his semi-final qualification hopes are hanging in the balance as he prepares for his third ATP Head2Head meeting with Auger-Aliassime.

    “It’s a match like a normal tournament already, because the loser will go out of the tournament normally,” said Nadal. “[I] just accept that I need to do better things. I hope to be ready to make that happen. He finished the season playing unbelievable, winning [three] tournaments in a row, playing so well. [It is] another big challenge.”

  • Fritz Fires Past Nadal In Nitto ATP Finals Debut

    Fritz Fires Past Nadal In Nitto ATP Finals Debut

    Injuries were a major storyline in the previous two 2022 meetings between Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz. On Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals, both men were operating with clean bills of health in Turin — with Fritz putting forth an equally clean performance to earn a famous upset.

    With a 7-6(3), 6-1 win, Fritz completed a dream debut at the season finale while denting Nadal’s bid to win the lone big title that has eluded him in his legendary career. The Spaniard’s defeat also means he must now claim the Turin title to overtake Carlos Alcaraz for the year-end No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking.

    “It feels great. I felt like coming out first mach, especially for my hopes of getting out of the group, it was going to be really important,” said Fritz, who moved above Casper Ruud into first place in the Green Group. “I didn’t want to put myself in a position where I needed to win out if I wanted to move on. I came out and played a great match, and I couldn’t be happier.”

    Fritz improved to 2-2 in his ATP Head2Head series against Nadal, backing up his win in the Indian Wells final in March — a match the American nearly didn’t play due to an ankle injury. He also gained a measure of revenge after a heartbreaking Wimbledon quarter-final defeat in which Nadal came from behind despite struggling with an abdominal tear.

    The last man into the Turin field, Fritz showed he belonged with a dominant display as he controlled the match with his serve and forehand. The 25-year-old did not face a break point and created nine of his own, converting on two of six in the second set as he ran away with the victory by winning the final five games.

    Both men looked to find their forehands early and often in the rallies, and it was Fritz who found more success with the crucial tactic, finishing the match with 23 winners to Nadal’s 18. The INSIGHTS In Attack statistics show that the American hit 30 per cent of his shots from attacking positions in the match, compared to 21 per cent for Nadal.

    While Fritz did most of his damage off the ground from his forehand wing, the American pointed out a crucial edge on his rally backhand as he benefitted from the slick indoor surface at the Pala Alpitour.

    “The court’s definitely fast. For me, fast is good for my serve, it’s good for my backhand,” he explained in his on-court interview. “I feel like different speeds always have parts that help my game, and parts that hurt my game. On a slower court, I have so much more time to kind of load up on a forehand.

    “On a court like this, I can lean into my backhand and hit it deep cross to Rafa’s forehand, and it makes it a but tougher for him to step in and crush it. On a slower surface, he gets time on the forehand when I go backhand cross, and it’s probably done for me. So I’d say that’s where it helps me the most on the ground against him.”

    [NEWSLETTER FORM]

    After Fritz failed to convert on three break points in the opening set, he never trailed in the tie-break after taking a 3/0 lead with the help of a Nadal double fault.

    The American dealt a final blow late in the second set by converting on his fifth break point of a six-deuce game. He then quickly served out the match with one hour, 37 minutes played to record his first win against a Top 3 opponent in 12 attempts.

    Nadal, who was playing in his second ATP Tour singles match since the US Open, has now suffered three straight defeats, all against Americans. He was turned back by Frances Tiafoe at the US Open and Tommy Paul two weeks ago in Paris before Sunday’s loss at the hands of Fritz.

    Did You Know?

    Fritz is the first American singles player to compete at the Nitto ATP Finals since John Isner in 2018. He is bidding to become the first American semi-finalist since Jack Sock in 2017 (London), the first finalist since James Blake in 2006 (Shanghai) and the first champion since Pete Sampras in 1999 (Hanover).

  • Holt Stuns Fritz In Sparkling Grand Slam Debut

    Holt Stuns Fritz In Sparkling Grand Slam Debut

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    American qualifier Brandon Holt claimed a statement win in his main-draw Grand Slam debut Monday night at the US Open, upsetting 10th-seeded countryman Taylor Fritz 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4 to charge into the second round at Flushing Meadows.

    Holt, 24, the son of two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin, had not won a Tour-level match coming into the tournament. The World No. 303 had to win through qualifying at the ATP Challenger Tour level in Chicago in his final tournament before playing US Open qualifying.

    Holt turned professional in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic began. Last year, Holt began to feel pain in his hand, which troubled him for months. After several doctor visits, he learned an osteoid osteoma, an extra bone growing on his fourth metacarpal.

    The American had two options to deal with it, and chose the more invasive, but safer option. After undergoing the operation in August, Holt did not play the rest of 2021.

    Holt will play the winner of Argentine Pedro Cachin and Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene.

      

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