The second half of 2024 has been a positive period for American tennis star Taylor Fritz and he can take a lot of pride out of the year.
The first two Grand Slams had a familiar feel to them for Fritz. He reached another quarter-final at the Australian Open and was then knocked out in the fourth round at the French Open.
Still, they were his best finishes at those particular events and clearly they helped him kick on to a different level for the second six months.
At Wimbledon, he reached the quarter-final, with Fritz backing Lorenzo Musetti for great things after losing to him in the last eight.
Then there was the US Open and Fritz might look back on that tournament as a breakthrough event for a player boasting his talent.
He enjoyed a stunning run to the final and although he was trounced by Jannik Sinner, the experience should put the 27-year-old in good shape for the future.
Fritz also won a bronze medal at the Olympics and reached the final of the ATP Finals event in Turin where he again lost to Sinner in the showpiece match.
Rennae Stubbs makes Taylor Fritz claim regarding Grand Slam title
Can Fritz ever lift a Grand Slam title? Right now, that has to be considered a million-dollar question in the world of tennis.
In terms of ability, he probably can but with Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both younger and already boasting multiple major titles, that’s clearly an issue.
However, all it takes is a bit of luck with a draw or two and perhaps Fritz can etch his name onto one of the big trophies in tennis.
Rennae Stubbs has been quizzed on Fritz and whether he can claim glory at a major tournament and it would appear she’s undecided.
Indeed, Stubbs definitely thinks there is something that Fritz must do if he’s to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz on court any time soon.
She told The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast: “It will be interesting to see who steps up. I have my thoughts on Taylor Fritz. I do believe he can win a major but I feel like his net game has to improve significantly because of the fact when he hits one, two, three great shots in a rally like Sinner or Alcaraz, they are willing to go I have got the guy on a dead run, I am going to go in and finish the point at the net and they are super confident with their volleys. I give Darren a lot of credit for helping Sinner because I know his improvement in volleys has been outstanding in the last 12 months and I think that is actually the difference maker in his tennis.
“As somebody who could volley very well, if I had those ground strokes and I saw an opportunity to run in, I would run in every single time and I think Carlos and Jannik have that perception now like it’s time for me to go in, it’s time to finish this point off, I can’t play five more shots like this.
“I don’t feel like Taylor is comfortable at all in any way going forward. He had one great volley against Zverev which helped him win the match when he was down 0-40 at 2-2 in the third. He was almost halfway in the court and had to go in. He ended up hitting a very scary volley for him, a basic volley for someone like me, but I thought if you could just do that more and more you would win a lot more matches.
“I feel like it’s the one area that stops him being a possible grand slam contender. I do feel like he can do it but that is where Alcaraz and Sinner differentiate themselves from the other guys. If Taylor is to make that next step, I think he has to improve that area, because I think he is the only one who can disrupt those two at grand slams.”
Fritz has to prove 2024 wasn’t a flash in the pan
For the American, he still has it all to prove until he ticks off that first major title and next year could prove huge for the player.
Alcaraz and Sinner will be back stronger next year and who can discount Novak Djokovic who will now be coached by Andy Murray?
Although Fritz did reach the final of the US Open, he received a decent draw and the moment he came up against one of the game’s juggernauts he was beaten.
With that in mind, the reservations from Stubbs seem to be valid and the next milestone for Fritz is to prove that he can knock on the door for a whole calendar year.
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