Taylor Fritz admits he would 'think about it forever' if he doesn't win a Grand Slam

Taylor Fritz has said that Carlos Alcaraz is a ‘tougher’ player to face than Jannik Sinner, and also admitted that he would ‘think about it forever’ if he never won a Grand Slam.

The American is currently through to the last eight at the Lexus Eastbourne Open after prevailing over Joao Fonseca 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5 in a match which took place over two days.

Fritz has looked at home on the grass courts over the last four years, reaching multiple Wimbledon quarter-finals (2022 and 2024).

“The courts at Eastbourne always feel really good and every year I’ve won here I’ve been at Queen’s,” stated Fritz, whilst speaking to the Guardian.

“I always feel Queen’s is very slow and slippery. I have a hard time moving there but as soon as I reach Eastbourne I move really well.

“Stuttgart was also very fast but I had a nightmare getting out of there. I had to fly out the following morning, get off the plane, have one practice and play the next day. So I’m not going to be too hard on myself about losing [to Moutet]. It was a tough turnaround.”

As a result of Jack Draper’s run to the semi-finals of Queen’s, the Brit has secured his position as a top-four seed at the grass-court Grand Slam, pipping the American (and Novak Djokovic) – something which Fritz doesn’t seem to mind.

“I don’t think it’s that big a deal because if I was four and Draper five we could still have played each other in the quarters,” argued the 2022 Indian Wells champion.

“It now means that Novak Djokovic can’t be in my quarter. I could get [Alexander] Zverev [whom Fritz has beaten eight times in 13 matches] or maybe Alcaraz. Being fourth or fifth seed makes a very small difference.”

Fritz turned professional in 2015 and has often struggled against the world’s very best until the last few years.

Against world No 1 Jannik Sinner, the American was victorious in their first meeting – in 2021 – but has lost in all of their last four subseuqnet clashes.

Fritz has also lost both of his meetings against Carlos Alcaraz, failing to win a single set.

“We had a one-year gap in 2022-23 after [Roger] Federer retired where Rafa [Nadal] and Novak weren’t playing many tournaments,” stated the world No 6.

“Carlos [Alcaraz] was playing well but he wasn’t established while [Jannik] Sinner wasn’t fully there yet. For a year it felt like anything could happen. Now it seems we’re back to some kind of domination by Alcaraz and Sinner. But it makes me even more determined to improve.

“I’d say Carlos is the harder opponent for me but I have to add the caveat that when we played in the Laver Cup [last year] I ran into the on-fire version of him where it just feels like there’s nothing you can do.

“So even though obviously Sinner has gotten me several times, pretty routinely, at least in those matches I felt like I could play tennis. In the Laver Cup with Carlos I felt, for about 80 to 90% of the match, I couldn’t do anything.”

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2024 marked a significant milestone for the American, making his first Grand Slam final at the US Open – losing out to Sinner.

At nearly 28 and with the ever-improving Spaniard and Italian, Fritz recognises that time is running out if he wants to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy.

“You need to be extremely confident in your abilities and believe in yourself [to reach the tennis elite],” said Fritz.

“So being a bit delusional, in a positive way, is a good thing. When I was 14 I wasn’t that good but I was very delusional in saying I was going to, without a doubt, make it. I truly believed it and there’s no way I’d be here now without it. I’ll never knock anyone for saying things that might be delusional or hopeful.

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t do it.

“I’ll be almost 33. The way my body’s been feeling the last couple of years I can’t honestly say that, five years from now, it’s going to be great. I don’t know if I have that many more years of peak tennis.

“But I’ve never thought I had unlimited time. I’ve always felt like I’ve got to make it happen soon.”

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