Taylor Fritz’s coach explains why he plays one of the busiest schedules on the ATP Tour

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If there’s an ATP tournament to be played, Taylor Fritz will be there, as the American star likes to stay active.

Rarely will you see the American number one take a break from competition, as Fritz plays one of the busiest schedules on the ATP Tour.

Barring an injury at the beginning of this year’s clay-court season, Fritz hasn’t really taken a break in 2025, as he continues to play events around the world.

Staying true to form, Fritz is the only player currently ranked in the world’s top five to have played three US Open warm-up events, having made trips to Washington, Toronto, and Cincinnati.

Sharing his thoughts on Fritz’s packed schedule, coach Michael Russell has explained why the 27-year-old stays busy.

Michael Russell says Taylor Fritz ‘enjoys competition more than training’ so plays a busy schedule

During a recent sit-down interview, Russell was asked why Fritz plays one of the busiest schedules on tour.

“Yeah, he does like to play, kudos to him, he’s extremely stubborn, but he’s one of the most competitive human beings that I’ve ever met,” he said.

“Which is a big positive for his character, which is why you see that never-say-die attitude, fighting for every point.

“But, sometimes he enjoys the competition a lot more than training, which is understandable, but at the same time, having those training blocks is really important.”

Russell proceeded to highlight the difficulties in balancing Fritz’s busy schedule with other commitments.

“Collaboration and coordination with his agent, to make sure he fulfills his sponsor commitments, the training blocks, and the tournaments are coordinated throughout the year, it’s a challenge,” he said.

“We try to microdose training blocks in between, and the schedule is getting longer, the Masters series are two weeks, so it’s a challenge for sure.”

Fritz has remarkably entered 17 tournaments this year, playing 53 matches, winning three titles.

Travelling to as many tournaments together as Russell and Fritz do, it’s vital they maintain a healthy relationship, something the 47-year-old works hard on.

How Michael Russell and Taylor Fritz maintain a healthy relationship

Russell explained how he and Fritz balance the time they spend together and apart, so as not to grow tired of each other.

“Specifically for Taylor and I, we’re travelling almost 40 weeks together, that’s a lot,” he said.

“Most of our day together is usually spent just at the courts, on the practice courts, then he’ll do his own thing at dinner.

“That’s a healthy way to have a little more mental health for everyone, because it’s a lot of time together. But it’s good, it’s been working well.”

The American spoke at length about the importance of trust in a player-coach relationship.

“It’s definitely super important to create that relationship and make sure that they’re comfortable and they understand that you know, it’s a two-way relationship and there’s that open communication,” said Russell.

“They understand what you’re trying to do, you understand what they’re trying to do.

“At the end of the day, when they see that you have the passion and the trust that you’re out there to make sure they’re out succeeding, that just builds confidence, and that’s important.”

With the results they’ve achieved together recently, it’s clear to see Russell and Fritz trust one another fully.

They’ll be in search of another big title this week as Fritz returns to the court to take on Terence Atmane in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, August 13.