Taylor Fritz told what he needs to fix to win major tournaments by six-time Grand Slam champion
Taylor Fritz suffered his third-straight defeat to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in their latest meeting at the ATP Finals on Tuesday.
The top seed dialled in to seal a 6-4 6-4 victory in an exciting clash at the season finale in Turin, Italy, to improve to 7-0 on indoor hard courts in 2024.
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In doing so, Sinner moved one step closer to the semi-finals and has a 2-0 record in the Ilie Nastase Group which he will aim to extend against Daniil Medvedev later this week.
Fritz, meanwhile, is 1-1 and will now need to secure a win against Australian Alex de Minaur in his bid to advance to the last four for a second time.
In a rematch of their US Open final in September, Sinner hit 22 winners to Fritz’s 19 in a hard-fought contest, taking the victory in front of 12,000 cheering fans in his home country.
While the American put Sinner through his paces in the early stages of the contest, the World No. 1 raised his game when required to register a triumph in under two hours, improving to 3-1 in their head-to-head series.
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"I think it was a really high-level match from both sides," Fritz said in his post-match press conference.
"I played really well, he played well. I think there's a lot of positives I can take out of it.
"He played a lot of those big-moment points better. That's the real difference in this match, that's why he's had such an insane year, and that's why he's the number one in the world."
While Fritz matched up well to Sinner once more, he has work to do if he wants to snap his losing streak and perhaps get his hands on a major title in the near future.
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And post-match, an element of his game was picked apart by a six-time Grand Slam winner.
Rennae Stubbs, who won four doubles and two mixed doubles on the biggest stage, was left frustrated by Fritz's lack of presence at the net.
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"Taylor Fritz's inability to come forward and volley is costing him dealing against players like Sinner," she wrote on Threads.
"I really believe Taylor is good enough to win a major IF he improves that area of his game. Sinner is SOOOO much better at the net, as is Carlos [Alcaraz].
"This to me is the only thing stopping him getting those wins."
Fritz, a powerful player with a dominant serve, usually centres his game around the back of the court.
Improving his net game is certainly a solid suggestion, and one that could help him reach the next level and give stars like Sinner even more problems.
After securing victory at the ATP Finals, the Italian admitted his familiar opponent gave him a real run for his money - but that he was well-prepared for the challenge.
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"It was a very tough match, we got to know each other very well in a Grand Slam final," Sinner said.
"We knew exactly what to expect today, he was very aggressive and I was prepared.
"I just tried to serve very well in the important moments, which I did."
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