Follow us on Google Discover Taylor Fritz continues to impress in 2025 as he chases down the world number three ranking.
The American star has won two ATP titles this year and qualified for the semifinals of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
Last month at the Laver Cup, Fritz beat a world number one for the first time, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup
Even in his subsequent defeat to Alcaraz in the Japan Open final, Fritz proved he had what it takes to challenge the Spaniard.
Weighing in with his thoughts on the 27-year-old, one top performance expert claims Fritz has improved one key area of his game, which will allow him to compete with Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the future.
Mark Kovacs says Taylor Fritz has improved his physical speed and agility every year
During the latest episode of ‘The Inside-In Tennis Podcast’, host Mitch Michals and guest Mark Kovacs were discussing players who have worked hard to improve their game.
“A great example of that right now, US player, Taylor Fritz,” said Kovacs.
“He is probably the best example of someone who, at 15, 16, was not a very good mover; he’ll admit that. In that group of great players that he came up with, Frances [Tiafoe], with Reilly [Opelka], with Tommy [Paul], with Stefan Kozlov, there were a bunch of players; he was the lowest when it comes to physical speed, agility type tests.
“Every year, he’s made a concerted effort to get better at that aspect of his game.”
Photo by Hu Chengwei/Getty Images
Having watched Fritz improve as much as he has, Kovacs believes he could be the one to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner over the coming years.
“He’s now knocking on the door, if you’re going to say ‘Who’s the player to challenge [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz right now?’, Taylor is right up there; he’s that third, fourth guy that is knocking on the door,” he said.
“That’s a testament to him, his competitiveness, his desire to be great, which it really is, and his team.
“He’s had a very consistent team for a number of years now, and they’ve been working on that consistency, and you can see it.
“He’s performing at a really high level.”
Fritz is certainly knocking on the door, but how big is the gap between him and the world number one and two?
Over 5,000 points separate Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz/Jannik Sinner
Ranked fourth in the world, Fritz trails the Italian and Spaniard by some distance.
Official ATP Rankings
The world number one ranking looks out of reach for now, but that’s not to say Fritz can’t move forward.
He will no doubt have his sights set on taking the number three ranking from Alexander Zverev before the end of the year, reaching a career-high in the process.
Less than 1,000 points separate them, and with Zverev set to defend 1,000 points at the upcoming Paris Masters, Fritz could soon make his move.
Before then, both Fritz and Zverev will compete at ATP 500 events (Fritz – Basel, Zverev – Vienna) and a big-money exhibition tournament.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup
Making their debuts at the event, the world number three and four will compete at the Six Kings Slam in 2025, a tournament that offers up $6 million in prize money.
They will meet in the quarterfinals, with the winner set to face Alcaraz in the last four.
Fritz has won his last six matches against Zverev and would love nothing more than to extend his winning streak in Saudi Arabia.
The Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 15.