Fritz Forges Unforgettable Year

by Grant Thompson

In the countdown to the Nitto ATP Finals (10-17 November), our new series, 'Towards Turin', will showcase qualified players and those in contention, and update fans on the fierce battle between the sport's best players to lock up one of the eight spots to the season finale.

Taylor Fritz has long established himself as a leading light on the ATP Tour, but the American nonetheless continues to hit new milestones. His 2024 season was no exception.

Fritz added two titles to his trophy case this year, bringing his career total to eight. Having also notched a personal-best 17 match wins at Grand Slam events (including reaching his first major final appearance at the US Open), Fritz is fifth on 4,300 points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. He will this year make his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, following his 2022 debut. The four other players that have already sealed their place in Turin are Jannik Sinner, who has already earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev.

Among those still in contention to join Fritz & co. in Turin is record seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic, who sits behind Fritz in sixth in the Live Race on 3,910 points. The 2022 Turin finalist Casper Ruud (3,855 points) and Andrey Rublev (3,720 points) currently occupy the final two qualification spots, but Alex de Minaur (3,645 points), Grigor Dimitrov (3,240 points), Stefanos Tsitsipas (3,165 points), Holger Rune (2,725 points) and Jack Draper (2,635 points) still have a shot at overtaking them as the Live Race enters its final 10 days.

So how did Fritz become the first American singles player to qualify multiple times for the Nitto ATP Finals since Andy Roddick made his sixth and final appearance in 2010? ATPTour.com breaks down the key steps on Fritz's 2024 journey to Turin.

THREE PEAK PERFORMANCES

1) Fritz's Fuel To His First Major Final

If the pressure was at an all-time high for Fritz during his dream US Open run, his confidence was too. The American's standout tournament was ignited by statement wins over some top talents. Entering the season, Fritz had yet to notch a Top 10 win at a Slam, but in New York, where he downed former semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini in a tough second round, Fritz took down not one but two Top 10 stars — Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev — en route to the final.

“I think I played a really good match in the second round against Matteo,” said Fritz. “I think with Casper, I was down a set and struggling a bit, so winning that one was big for me. I think just seeing the path, seeing how the draw was working out… Obviously there were tough matches in the draw, but nothing that I felt I couldn’t handle if I played well.”

2) Eastbourne Excellence

Hat-tricks on grass are usually reserved for the football pitch, but Fritz earned his own at the Rothesay International by claiming a third title at the ATP 250. The Eastbourne tournament has been a fixture on the ATP Tour calendar longer than Fritz has been alive, yet he became the first player in the event’s history to win three singles crowns (2019, 2022, 2024).

3) 'Claylor' Convert

“That ain’t me… That’s Claylor,” Fritz wrote on social media after reaching his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final on clay in Madrid. Fritz tallied a career-best 15 clay-court wins this season, with a final run in Munich marking his first title match on the surface. He also reached the Rome quarter-finals for the first time and the fourth round at Roland Garros, his best performance at the Paris major.