Taylor Fritz faced a shocking first-round exit from the 2025 French Open after falling to World No. 66 Daniel Altmaier. In his post-match press conference, the American expressed concern about struggling to deliver in key moments. He later admitted his movement had been below par in recent tournaments and at the French Open.
“I Am Playing Horrendous Tennis on Lot of Important Points”: Taylor Fritz After French Open Heartbreak
Altmaier registered one of the biggest triumphs of his career and his fifth over a Top-10 opponent on Monday, May 26. The German started strong, winning the first set 7-5, but Fritz clinched the second set 6-3.
Altmaier put his fierce striking on display and sealed the next two sets 6-3, 6-1 to secure a place in the second round of the French Open. Meanwhile, Fritz, who dropped 12 of the last 16 games, suffered his first opening-round defeat at Roland Garros since 2018 and just his second at a Grand Slam since the 2019 US Open.
Fritz reflected on his performance during his post-match press conference. The American noted that while he played well overall, he faltered under pressure, particularly during break points. He eventually seemed puzzled by his form.
“I think I’m playing generally fine. It’s just a lot of important points, I just am playing horrendous tennis on a lot of the important points. When I’m break point down, or I’ve got looks on his serve, like 0/30, 15/30, 30/30, break point — all the pressure, important points… I don’t know what’s going on. I’m finding ways to just play the worst point possible,” he said.
Fritz was later asked how he felt physically while facing Altmaier. He explained that while he felt generally fit, his struggles with his movement since Rome have affected his overall performance.
“It’s really strange because I feel like since Rome, Geneva and here (Paris), my movement on court is really bad, I don’t know what’s going on. A lot of times I am sliding, I’m off balance or I’m like not timing it correctly. It just doesn’t feel I’m getting wrong footed a lot, slipping a lot,” he added.
“It’s Definitely Not the Reason Why I Lost Today”: Taylor Fritz on the Impact of His Ankle Injury on French Open Exit
Fritz has struggled with an abdominal injury since early February and twisted his ankle last week at the Geneva Open. Yet, he found a way to compete at the 2025 French Open.
Later in the press conference, World No. 4 admitted that he underestimated his ankle injury from Geneva and didn’t feel great playing on it. However, he believed that he didn’t lose because of his rolled ankle.
“I misjudged for sure earlier in the week the level my ankle was at. I rolled it. I rolled it in Geneva. Because it felt good for the rest of the match, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but it doesn’t feel great. But it’s definitely not the reason why I lost today,” he said.
Fritz did not have a good buildup to the French Open, with a fourth-round exit in Madrid, a second-round exit in Rome, and only a quarterfinal appearance in Geneva. He holds a 17-10 win-loss record so far this season and would look to improve it during the forthcoming grass-court swing.
