The early stages of Grand Slam tournaments often throw up a shock or two and two days into the French Open, Taylor Fritz is waving goodbye to Paris already.
The American performer was fancied by some to enjoy a deep run at Roland Garros this time around, but was beaten in four sets by German player Daniel Altmaier.
It means a second successive early Grand Slam exit for Fritz, who was dumped out of the Australian Open in January by Gael Monfils in the third round.
It appeared as though the 27-year-old had turned a bit of a corner last year when he defied the odds to reach the final of the US Open before succumbing to an inspired Jannik Sinner.
Fritz will be bitterly disappointed to exit a Grand Slam at this stage for the first time since crashing out of the US Open in the first round in 2022 when qualifier Brandon Holt beat him.
Taylor Fritz shares ‘really strange’ thing that has been happening after French Open exit
This is a body blow for Fritz, who would have hoped to find some form and some rhythm at another Grand Slam as he bids to flex his credentials as a potential winner of a major tournament.
Take nothing away from Altmaier, though. The German world number 66 played a superb match, and he will now hope to repeat his heroics of 2020 when he managed to reach the fourth round.
Fritz would have fancied his chances as one of the big hitters on the ATP Tour, but after the match, he explained that something a little bit strange keeps happening to him in matches that he simply cannot get his head around.
He said in his press conference: “It’s really strange because I feel like since Rome, Geneva and here, my movement on court is really bad. I don’t know what’s going on.
“A lot of times, when I am sliding, I am off balance or not timing it correctly. I am getting wrong-footed a lot, slipping a lot. Funnily enough, it’s like Madrid feels like the only time this whole clay season felt like the only time I was actually moving well on clay.
“Physically, I don’t feel that bad. I feel pretty, for how I have been most this year, I feel good, I think.
“I misjudged, for sure, earlier in the week the level my ankle was at. 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.”
Fritz can now focus on the grass court season
The American has showcased in the past that he could be capable of producing the goods on grass and has enjoyed a couple of strong showings at Wimbledon in particular.
He reached the quarter-final last year, before Lorenzo Musetti produced a wonderful performance to edge out the player at the same round as he reached in 2022.
Fritz has the repertoire of shots required to win a Grand Slam and it’s all about putting that into practice and getting into some form to trouble the big players on the tour.
Losing so early at the French Open is a blow, but at least now he can get on the grass and enjoy more time to adapt to the situations ahead of the next Grand Slam, which will soon be upon the players after Roland Garros.
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