After being forced to skip his title defense at the French Open, Carlos Alcaraz is also set to miss the Wimbledon Championships due to his wrist injury. While the two-time champion’s absence makes the path easier for his fellow ATP stars, Taylor Fritz has made it clear he will not let Alcaraz’s withdrawal shape his expectations for the grass-court Major.
Taylor Fritz Reveals His Wimbledon Expectations Following Carlos Alcaraz’s Withdrawal
Following the Miami Open in March, Fritz took a two-month break from the tour to manage his knee tendinitis. The American returned to action on clay at the Geneva Open and later suffered a first-round exit at the French Open. However, he has rediscovered his form since transitioning to grass, the surface on which he has won five of his 10 career titles.
Fritz made a stellar run to the BOSS Open final before falling short against Ben Shelton. He has now reached the semifinals of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. In an interview with Hard Court amid his campaign at the ATP 500, the world No. 9 was asked whether Carlos Alcaraz’s absence had raised his expectations of lifting the Wimbledon trophy, given that he lost to the Spaniard in the semifinals last year.
However, Fritz insisted that he is not looking too far ahead. He said he would have answered the same question with greater confidence heading into last year’s tournament, but stressed that he still needs to build that belief in his game this time around.
“No, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, because it is grass and anything can happen. I felt so good going into last year’s Wimbledon, and I would probably give you a different answer before last year’s tournament, because I didn’t feel like I would lose to anyone who wasn’t a top player. So I think right now I’m just focused on getting to that level of confidence and feeling in my game before we get there,” Fritz said.
The American also emphasized that his focus remains on finding success and producing consistently high-level performances in the lead-up to Wimbledon.
“Obviously, we’re early in the grass court season. I played well last week, but I need two more good weeks, and then I can really feel confident about going into Wimbledon and feeling like—if I’m playing well and really showing up every day—not many people are going to be able to beat me,” he said.
Rather than paying attention to potential outcomes, Fritz disclosed his intention to take the tournament one match at a time, saying, “So with the time I’ve taken off, and last week being like the first good week I’ve had, I just need to keep building my confidence and consistently playing at that high level before I get too far ahead of myself. I just want to take it one match at a time, like I did last year.”
MORE: ‘Just Relief’ – Taylor Fritz Admits After Avoiding Nightmare Against Ben Shelton in Halle
No. 5 seed Taylor Fritz likely received a much-needed confidence boost from his quarterfinal clash with Ben Shelton in Halle, as he pulled off a hard-fought 6-7(5), 7-6(8), 7-6(3) victory to avenge his loss to Shelton in the Stuttgart final a few days ago.
Up next, Fritz will lock horns with top seed Alexander Zverev. The American will head into the blockbuster contest with the head-to-head advantage, having won all six of their most recent encounters, including two meetings on grass.
