Taylor Fritz blasts ATP calendar, makes shock revelation

Taylor Fritz could have very routinely dealt with Holger Rune on the Shanghai Masters however afterward made it clear that he was feeling “terrible” mentally and bodily over the extraordinarily demanding ATP calendar.

On Tuesday, the American tennis star crushed the 14th-ranked Dane 6-1 6-2 to soundly progress into the Shanghai quarterfinal. Though it was anticipated to in all probability be a decent battle, the latest US Open runner-up wanted simply 55 minutes to seal the win. 

For world No. 7 Fritz, it was his 67th match of the season and he now owns a 48-19 report. When requested how he feeling amid approaching to almost taking part in 70 matches in 2024, the 26-year-old was straight trustworthy. Additionally, the previous world No. 5 shared that he has been coping with accidents since Might however hasn’t been in a position to totally heal from them as a result of there may be all the time one thing happening. 

“Fairly terrible (smiling). Yeah, I imply, it is just like the season is just too lengthy. I all the time thought if I acquired ranked greater I might play much less, and I’m, I’m taking part in much less tournaments, however I am additionally profitable much more matches on the large tournaments, so I am taking part in in all probability greater than ever, despite the fact that I assumed it wasn’t going to be like this (laughing),” Fritz stated. 

“I have been coping with accidents for the reason that French Open that I have not had time to get to go away, I’ve sort of simply been taking part in via. That is the factor, if an harm will not be utterly dangerous sufficient to maintain me out, then I am simply going to play, I do not need to, , waste months, and simply slowly it will get higher, and it sort of has. However, yeah, and that is not simply me, there’s, at the moment of the yr a lot of the guys have been going all yr, everybody’s coping with one thing.”

Fritz is not the one star who not too long ago aired frustrations concerning the schedule

ATP and WTA gamers ripping the calendar in tennis is not something new. However when Carlos Alcaraz made one remark not too long ago, it despatched shockwaves all through the tennis world because the four-time Grand Slam champion stated that the gamers are going to “get killed ultimately” if nothing modifications with the calendar. 

In that very same interview, the world No. 2 admitted to coming into some tournaments unmotivated as a result of he mainly wasn’t within the correct state to play. 

“Most likely they’re going to kill us ultimately. Proper now quite a lot of good gamers are going to overlook quite a lot of tournaments due to that. Generally, you do not need to go to a match. I am not going to lie — I’ve felt this fashion a couple of instances already. Generally I do not really feel motivated in any respect. However as I’ve stated many, many instances, I play my greatest tennis after I smile and luxuriate in it on courtroom. That is the best choice to maintain motivating (myself),” Alcaraz stated in Berlin. 

Simply because the Spaniard’s feedback have been going viral, Alexander Zverev joined in by additionally harshly slamming the calendar. In his interview, the 2024 French Open runner-up claimed that the ATP was simply desirous about getting their cash and never listening to the gamers and their wants. 

“The ATP does not care about our opinion — it is a cash enterprise. It is the longest season in sports activities. It is unnecessarily lengthy. Now we have an pointless quantity of tournaments… We’re not allowed to boycott, we get fined if we do not play tournaments. The tour goes on with out you. We have to do one thing about it. It isn’t a simple answer, however an answer which must be made,” Zverev stated.

Fritz averted taking part in Zverev in Shanghai

After the American sealed a quarterfinal spot in Shanghai, he was awaiting the winner of the Zverev and David Goffin match. Regardless that the world No. 3 was the massive favourite in that match, it was the 66th-ranked Belgian who received 6-4 7-5.

Within the final three months, Fritz thrice beat the German – at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Laver Cup. And a reporter was curious if he want to face Zverev once more.

“No, I imply, if something, I feel Sascha might be, I imply, he might be due, he might be due for one. However (laughing) that is additionally what I stated earlier than, I suppose, the Laver Cup match as effectively, so we’ll see. I’ve received the final three, however, I imply, the Wimbledon match, was clearly down two units, might have gone both method. The US Open match was actually shut, might have gone both method. You recognize, it isn’t possibly as one-sided as it could seem for somebody having received versus misplaced three matches,” the American stated.

In opposition to Goffin, Fritz enters as the favourite and it will likely be an amazing likelihood for the 26-year-old to achieve his first Shanghai semifinal.