Taylor Fritz has concluded his Dallas Open run, as he fell short in clinching the title in the final match, losing to fellow American Ben Shelton.
The World No. 8 is continuing his run despite ongoing injury issues with his knee tendonitis and oblique, which have raised concern from CoCo Vandeweghe, who has highlighted that Fritz should be mindful of his tournament schedule given his health.
Taylor Fritz’s Continuation on Tour Amid Injuries Garners Disciplined Care From CoCo Vandeweghe
Fritz returned to action with the United Cup’s fourth edition; however, he remained limited in his performances due to knee tendonitis. After which, he competed in the Australian Open, losing the fourth round to Lorenzo Musetti at the Rod Laver Arena. Fritz’s next stop was the ATP 500 tournament, the Dallas Open, where he delivered impressive performances.
He defeated Brandon Nakashima, Marin Čilić, and others to reach the final round, where he was defeated by Shelton with a final scoreline of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. He will next be competing at the ATP 250 tournament, the Delray Beach Open.
The American star had informed earlier, after concluding his Australian Open run, that he had suffered from oblique issues and underwent two ultrasounds and an MRI, and that he is being cautious moving forward.
Before competing in Dallas, Fritz gave the update, revealing that he feels optimal, “I went home after Australia, the scans didn’t show much, but I was still really scared about it. Had a good five days of training before I came here, and no pain. So far this week no pain, so I think it’s good.”
However, during the recent episode of “The Big T Podcast,” with Brad Gilbert and Andrea Petkovic, the former World No. 9, who won the US Open doubles title in 2018, expressed concern, sharing that Fritz should focus on his long-term health and be selective about his tournaments, given that he is suffering from two injuries.
Vandeweghe mentioned, “I think it’s stupid because he had that knee injury that he had surgery on, and I know it’s a different injury and the oblique, but he’s way too young to be pushing himself through these injuries at these tournaments. I think come a grand slam, absolutely, you push through it.”
READ MORE: Taylor Fritz Denies Feeling Heartbroken and Upset After What Happened Against Ben Shelton in Dallas
She continued, highlighting that his favorite tournament is in California because he has a connection to the area where he was born. Furthermore, she also reflected on her familiarity, as her first coach was Fritz’s father, Guy.
She mentioned, “But he knows that Indian Wells is one of his favorite tournaments. His biggest tournament for him, in his mind, knowing Taylor as I do, growing up with his dad, Guy Fritz, as my first coach, going to the desert was his second home, and he wants to play well there. So why would you sacrifice a run of back-to-back like he did when you are pulling up to Australia already injured? That to me just doesn’t make any sense.”
In 2022, Fritz won the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells men’s singles title after defeating Spanish legend Rafael Nadal in the final. In his first match in Delray Beach, he will face 19-year-old Rafael Jodar.
