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Taylor Fritz enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024. He made the second week at all four Majors, and advanced to his first Grand Slam final in front of his home crowd at the US Open. While he came up short against Jannik Sinner, it was a step in the right direction.
Fritz also finished as the runner-up at the ATP Finals, with Sinner once again getting the better of him. He became the first American man since James Blake in 2006 to contest the final at the year-end championships. His run to the final pushed him to a new career-high of No. 4, and he finished the season in fourth place, his third straight year-end finish in the top 10.
Fritz has been the flagbearer of men's tennis in the US for the last few years, and his results this season only solidified his claim as the best player from his country. Even though Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are all hot on his tail, the World No. 4 is unlikely to cede his status as the top-ranked American player in 2025, and here's why:
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#3 Taylor Fritz's improved results on clay give him an edge against his fellow Americans
Fritz and his compatriots are capable players on hardcourts, so their results on natural surfaces are going to be the distinguishing factor. He has steadily improved his results on clay this decade. He had a 2-3 record on the surface in 2020, and a 4-5 record in 2021. He had a positive record on the red dirt in 2022 and went 5-3 on the surface that year.
Fritz tallied double-digit wins on the surface for the first time in 2023, and had a 11-6 record last year. He improved his record on clay to 15-7 this year, with a maiden final on the surface in Munich. He also reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open, the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, and the fourth round of the French Open for the first time.
Despite winning a title on the surface, Tiafoe has never secured more than eight wins on clay in a single season. He also has a 4-9 record at the French Open.
Paul, meanwhile, has been inconsistent with his results on clay. He had a 7-7 record on the surface in 2021, and won a total of four matches on it over the next two years.
Paul bounced back with a 10-4 record this year but it remains to be seen if he maintains this level. He has a 5-6 record at the French Open, and advanced to the third round for the first time this year. He's yet to reach a final on the surface.
Shelton has the least experience on clay compared to the others. He went 2-7 on the surface last year in his first full clay swing. He turned things around this year, with a title in Houston and a third-round showing at the French Open, which led to an 8-4 record.
Paul and Shelton could give the World No. 4 some competition next year if they maintain their form from this season. However, given Fritz's steady progress on clay over the years, he's likely to remain a step ahead of his contemporaries.
#2 Taylor Fritz is a dark horse to make a deep run at Wimbledon as well
Fritz has won three titles on grass, all at the Eastbourne International. He claimed his first title there in 2019, followed by further titles in 2022 and 2024. He is also a two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist. He made the last eight at the All England Club for the first time in 2022, and lost a five-set thriller against Rafael Nadal.
Fritz advanced to the quarterfinals this year as well. Fewer top players excel on grass compared to other surfaces. Carlos Alcaraz has been the undisputed champion on it over the last two years by winning Wimbledon twice. However, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the only other players to have done a three-peat there this century.
Djokovic also hasn't lost before the final at Wimbledon since 2018. Sinner and Daniil Medvedev are the other two players to have performed well there in recent years. Given Fritz's results on grass, coupled with fewer rivals to worry about, he is on the cusp of a breakthrough at Wimbledon.
Paul will be Fritz's biggest competition on grass, who won his first title on the surface this year, and also made the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Tiafoe and Shelton have gone as far as the fourth round, and the former won a title on the surface last year.
All four have a huge serve which gives them an advantage on grass. However, Fritz's consistency once again places him as the frontrunner to gain more points during the grass swing compared to his peers.
#1 Taylor Fritz has demonstrated more resistance against top players than his fellow Americans
Fritz posted an 11-10 record against top-10 players, his best-ever showing against the elite of the sport. However, his career record against them stands at 29-43, so there's still room for improvement. Paul, Tiafoe and Shelton, on the other hand, have a combined 30 top-10 wins between them.
Paul posted a 4-5 record against them this year, and has a 12-24 career record against top-10 opposition. Shelton went 2-5 against them in 2024, and has a 5-12 career record. Tiafoe notched up a 4-3 record this year but has a 13-36 career record against top-10 players.
Fritz also has a winning record against the other three. He leads Tiafoe 7-1 in their head-to-head, won his only match against Shelton so far, and edges Paul 3-2 in their rivalry. Since he'll be the favorite when he goes up against his compatriots, he'll guarantee himself another way of staying in front of them.
Beating the best is the only way of remaining on top. Fritz has demonstrated the ability to do the same on a consistent basis compared to his peers. Given his growth over the past season, there's no reason to believe that he won't be the leading American player in 2025 as well.
