While several top ATP players have been resting or missing out on lower-tier events prior to the French Open, American tennis star Taylor Fritz is going against the trend.
Instead of joining the trend of mass withdrawals, Fritz is going ahead with his schedule to compete in the 2025 Geneva Open, which is scheduled to be played from May 18 to May 24, barely a week before Roland Garros’s opening.
Taylor Fritz Made the Semifinals in Geneva in 2023
After his sixth Italian Open campaign, Taylor Fritz is already in Geneva to prepare for the ATP 250 tournament. The World No. 4, who was seeded fourth in Rome, received a bye in the second round but lost in straight sets to fellow American Marcos Giron.
The disappointing loss, however, has not dampened Fritz‘s spirits. He posted a video on his Instagram stories showing him working hard on the clay courts in Geneva, indicating that he was focusing on perfecting his form before the Paris clay-court Grand Slam.
This is Fritz’s third appearance at the Geneva Open. His best effort so far was in 2023, when he made it to the semifinals before losing to Grigor Dimitrov. Since Dimitrov is one of the top names withdrawing from playing this year, Fritz will be seeking a better performance than before while gaining momentum for Roland Garros, which starts on May 25.
Fritz’s move is opposite to that of a number of top-tier players who have opted to forego playing ATP 250 events before Paris. High-profile stars such as Jannik Sinner, Tommy Paul, Holger Rune, Lorenzo Musetti, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Casper Ruud all withdrew from their respective pre-Roland Garros events, specifically the Geneva Open and the Hamburg Open, to rest or prevent possible injuries.
Sinner and Paul, who also pulled out of the Hamburg Open, are also in action at the Italian Open in Rome and will meet in a high-stakes semifinal for the opportunity to contest Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Musetti, on the other hand, recently ended his run in Rome with a semifinal loss at the hands of Alcaraz.
Hamburg withdrawees Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas both lost in the third round at the Italian Open. Ruud, who pulled out of the Geneva Open, made it to the quarterfinals in Rome, losing to Sinner.
A Rundown of Player Withdrawals from Hamburg and Geneva ATP Events
Other high-profile withdrawals from the Geneva Open include Denis Shapovalov, Jordan Thompson, Roberto Bautista Agut, Lorenzo Sonego, and Camilo Ugo Carabelli. The Hamburg Open also experienced some withdrawals, with Sebastian Korda, Ugo Humbert, and Hamad Medjedovic being among those to withdraw.
