"I kind of want to stop thinking about it" - Fritz ready to move forward after breaking into the Top 5 for first time in career

Taylor Fritz reckons he didn't feel 'any different' on the court after breaking into the top 5 of the ATP Rankings on the week starting Monday (February 27).

In his first match as a top-5 player, the 25-year-old recovered from a set down to beat compatriot John Isner in his Mexican Open opener in Acapulco on Monday night.

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The last time Fritz beat Isner was at 2021 Atlanta when he was not even in the top 20. Reflecting on his latest win over the 37-year-old Isner, an elated Fritz said in his on-court interview:

“I’m extremely happy. When the draw comes out, he’s obviously not who you want to see in the first round — it’s so much of a 50/50 match that can go either way, and I was very fortunate. I won a lot of the important points today.”

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Fritz is the first American male to reach the top five since Andy Roddick in 2009. He said that he had hoped to accomplish the same earlier but knows that it's an incredible 'honor'. He continued:

"It definitely didn’t feel any different on the court, but it’s a massive honour. When you put things in perspective and kind of look back, if I thought I’d be here when I was younger, it’s great. I kind of want to stop thinking about it, though, because I want to focus on the tournament and I’m hearing so much about it."

Fritz, who is now 12-3 on the season, will next take on Denis Shapovalov for a place in the quarterfinals. The American is 2-5 against Shapovalov, having lost the pair's first three meetings.