Taylor Fritz’s struggles at the net have become an increasingly prominent talking point among tennis experts, particularly following high-profile losses against the sport’s elite players. His recent performance at the 2025 ATP Finals has intensified focus on this weakness, with Rennae Stubbs analyzing how he can elevate his game to reach the championship level.
Taylor Fritz’s ATP Finals Clash with Carlos Alcaraz
Fritz began his ATP Finals campaign with evident confidence and early success against World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on November 11, claiming the opening set in a competitive tiebreak after the rivals traded breaks. The American led the tiebreak at 4-1 when Alcaraz scored a point, but Fritz won three consecutive points to capture the tiebreak, taking lead in the match.
The second set was closely contested, with both players holding serve till the 12th game, where the Spaniard broke and evened the match by winning the set. The third set saw a complete dominance from Alcaraz, who took a 5-2 lead after breaking Fritz. The American then saved three match points, but Alcaraz won the match in the very next game.
The final scoreline read 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 in Alcaraz’s favor, with the match lasting two hours and 50 minutes. Throughout the match, Fritz’s serve and baseline game initially posed problems for Alcaraz.
However, as the match progressed, Alcaraz’s superior net presence and ability to finish points efficiently at closer range became increasingly evident. Fritz struggled when rallies extended beyond the baseline, particularly when required to approach the net or construct effective volley opportunities.
Stubbs, the respected tennis analyst and former doubles World No. 1, provided a pointed assessment after the match. She observed that Fritz’s volleying and net approach remain the primary limitation preventing him from defeating elite competition consistently. She wrote,
“If Taylor learned how to volley better, he would win these matches. It’s the one thing he just doesn’t do well enough to beat players like this in majors. He may win today but over 5 sets if he could get more comfortable and competent at net, he really could win a major.”
If Taylor learned how to volley better, he would win these matches. It’s the one thing he just doesn’t do well enough to beat players like this in majors. He may win today but over 5 sets if he could get more comfortable and competent at net, he really could win a major.
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) November 11, 2025
Stubbs highlighted that Fritz’s inability to execute effectively at the net against top-tier opponents represents the single most critical gap in his technical arsenal, despite possessing remarkable baseline power.
Fritz’s Grand Slam record demonstrates genuine progress, though a maiden major title continues to elude him despite reaching career-defining stages. Most recently, Fritz advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this year, becoming the first American man to achieve that feat since John Isner in 2018, though he ultimately fell to Alcaraz in four sets.
At the US Open two months ago, Fritz extended his run to the quarterfinals before losing to Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Significantly, Fritz reached the US Open final in 2024, where he faced Jannik Sinner but lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, marking his closest opportunity yet at winning a major championship.
Despite these accomplishments, Fritz has developed a pattern of struggles in five-set matches against top-ranked opponents in Grand Slam environments
