Taylor Fritz provides instant fitness update after struggling with injury during defeat to Carlos Alcaraz

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Taylor Fritz came up short in one of the matches of the season to fall to 1-1 in his ATP Finals group.

Leading Carlos Alcaraz by a set to love, Fritz was playing some of the best tennis of his career in Turin, but couldn’t maintain that level over the course of the match.

Fighting back, Alcaraz defeated Fritz, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3, to extend his winning start at the ATP Finals.

Fritz began to struggle during the latter stages of the match, leaving many to question whether he is 100% fit.

Answering those questions, Fritz revealed what he struggled with during the third set of his match against Alcaraz in his post-match press conference.

Taylor Fritz says he was ‘struggling pretty hard’ with knee tendinitis against Carlos Alcaraz in Turin

Last year’s runner-up was dealing with a physical problem in his second group stage match at the ATP Finals.

“I think once we get to the third set, I’m struggling pretty hard with my knee tendinitis,” said Fritz.

“I have to play back-to-back days, then I’m playing such an explosive match. I feel like it gets a little bit tough to bend my knee on my serve once we get that late into the match.

 “That is what it is. I can’t really do much about it.”

Fritz explained how the unique scheduling of the 2025 tour finals has made the problem worse.

“Yeah, I mean, the thing is in order to deal with this, you need a certain number of weeks to strengthen it, where you’re not pounding on it playing tennis. Unfortunately, that time period you need, that does not exist in the tennis season,” he said.

“As long as I have, for the most part, I go hard and I have a day to take it easy, then I’m good again. It’s unfortunate that circumstances are that I have to play two days back-to-back.

“I start to feel it when I’m kind of bending, loading, kind of stomping. I think a big part of why it got going today is, one, the match yesterday, and two, I was returning very explosive in this match.

“It’s one of the best matches I’ve returned for two sets. The pushing off, the landing when I’m returning, that puts a lot of force through it. It’s just tendinitis. It’s just gotten worse.”

Fritz will hope to recover in time for his third and final group stage game, as his semifinal place hangs in the balance.

Is Taylor Fritz still on course to qualify for the semifinals?

Losing his match to Alcaraz, Fritz fell to second in his group, behind the Spaniard.

Group Jimmy Connors

Things could all change, however, with games still left to be played.

Games to be played – Jimmy Connors Group

• (0-1) Lorenzo Musetti vs (0-1) Alex de Minaur
• (2-0) Carlos Alcaraz vs (0-1) Lorenzo Musetti
• (1-1) Taylor Fritz vs (0-1) Alex de Minaur

Fritz will do his chances of qualifying for the last four a world of good if he can beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur in his next match.

The American and Aussie are tied at 5-5 in their head-to-head, with nothing to separate them through 10 career matches.

Having beaten De Minaur at the ATP Finals 12 months ago, Fritz will no doubt be hoping for a repeat result this time around.

Fritz will play De Minaur in the 2025 ATP Finals on Thursday, November 13.