Having suffered a gruesome injury at Roland Garros in June did not deter Taylor Fritz, as the American overcame that obstacle to reach six semifinals and climb to a career-high ranking in 2021.
The 24-year old ended the year with a 34-22 record, climbing to World No.23 in the world and was one of the most in-form players after the US Open. In an interview with TENNIS.com, Fritz spoke about how he rediscovered his form.
"Even before Indian Wells I was thinking it wasn’t my best year, but I was putting myself in good positions in lots of tournaments," said Fritz. "I just kept losing that ‘next match.’ Then at Indian Wells I was able to win that next match, those ‘next two matches,’ that put me deeper into tournaments. That made me very happy with the year."
The top-ranked American credited his change in mentality for his improved play, adding that it made a big difference in his game.
"I developed a little more confidence in my shots, and used my forehand as more of a weapon," revealed Fritz. "We (Fritz and his coach, David Nainkin) always knew that's how I wanted to play. But sometimes when you get out on the court and it’s a big situation, a big occasion, it’s tougher to pull the trigger, to let it go and be more aggressive. The biggest thing has been a change in my mentality, my ability to stay aggressive, and to take chances in those big moments.
"The changes in mentality made a big difference in my game. I trusted my shots. I’m expecting big things in 2022 because I feel the way I am playing right now is levels above before."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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