UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
As many tennis fans will know, Taylor Fritz came up trumps in the desert last week. He became the first American since Andre Agassi to win Indian Wells. And I can tell you now, that certainly bodes well for his career moving forward. He is still just 24 years of age, and already, it’s looking like he could be a phenomenal hard-court player. But while many people know that he won the event, some of the other achievements have skated under the radar.
It’s these lesser-known achievements that I’d like to cover today. So without further ado, let me dive a little deeper into what Fritz has actually achieved.
Fritz Achievements – Things You May Have Missed
Contents
Everyone knows that he won the title in Indian Wells, so I won’t be banging on about this achievement too much. Of course, it’s fantastic for American tennis and for his career that he has done this. But besides taking his first Masters win, Fritz actually achieved several things that are arguably, just as good for his career long term.
Top 15 Ranking
Following the Indian Wells win, Taylor Fritz has managed to attain a career-high ranking of number 13 in the world. Prior to this, he had never been ranked inside the world’s top 15. In fact, his career-high was 16 before this, which he achieved in February 2022. And at the very top of the rankings, making the break through the top 20, the top 15, and possibly the top 10, is absolutely huge.
First Win Against Big Three
Many tennis fans don’t know that Fritz hadn’t actually beaten one of the big three before the Indian Wells final. Against Novak Djokovic, Fritz has a record of 0-5 against him. Against Roger Federer, Fritz has a record of 0-2. And against Nadal, prior to this match, he had played and lost to the great Spaniard one time. Again, this shows that he has now removed the monkey from his back concerning beating the very top guys.
Number One American Once Again
Taylor Fritz has previously been the highest-ranked American. But it’s a title that he has somewhat dipped in and out of. However, now that he has racked up a ton of points following the Indian Wells win, he is once again the highest-ranked American. This puts him ahead of both Reilly Opelka and John Isner – two veterans of American tennis at this point. Naturally, this will boost his confidence tremendously.
Beating Nadal With an Injury
Before I risk angering the die-hard Rafa fans, yes, Nadal wasn’t 100% fit in this game either. But for Taylor Fritz, he actually had an injury that almost caused him to withdraw from the match altogether. On the morning of the final, he ended his practice session after just five minutes. That’s because he tweaked his achilles at the end of the semi-finals against Rublev. But he went out there anyway, and as they say, the rest is history.
Well done Taylor Fritz!
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!
