Taylor Fritz’s focus: How knee rehab took center stage in the offseason | ATP Tour

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Fritz’s focus: How knee rehab started in the offseason

The American begins his season against Baez on Saturday in the United Cup

January 02, 2026

Other ATP Tour stars will have used the off-season to work on the technical aspects of their game, but Taylor Fritz was focused solely on physical recovery ahead of his 2026 season.

“I really couldn’t [target] whatever,” Fritz told ATPTour.com in Perth when asked what he was working on before starting his season competing with Team USA in the United Cup. “I said at the end of the season [Nitto ATP Finals]my goal was just to try to fix my knee. I still have really bad tendonitis, and that’s something that’s going to take a long time to get rid of.”

While the injury has been delayed, the number 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings does not sound serious enough to warrant a complete break from competing on the Tour.

“The demands of playing make it very difficult to pull it off, but at the same time I don’t really want to sit on the bench for four months to try to get it right if I feel like I can play with it,” Fritz said. “Sometimes it’s very bad to play, but that was the focus of the six weeks, just doing some rehabilitation and strengthening, and trying to lay a foundation where I can start improving myself.

“Maybe in a few months this season, I can finish it. That was the main focus. Just hitting to keep my time, to keep my game, to keep my feeling, but not to overdo it on my knee.”

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While Fritz struggled with his body at times in 2025, he still delivered another strong season as a Top 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. The American compiled a record of 53-23, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, a figure that includes title runs in Eastbourne and Stuttgart, and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third time.

“I think when I was healthy and playing, my level was really high,” Fritz noted. “It’s easy for me to look at it and be like, ‘I finished No. 4 last year and I finished No. 6 last year’, but I spent about two months of the season injured. I missed the clay court season, I came back from injury and I wasn’t playing really well. So I feel like I didn’t play well, outside of Australia, until the clay season ended.

“So it was like my season started on grass. Even after that, towards the end of the year, I had some issues that I was dealing with. So I think the level that I was producing when I was feeling good and healthy, got me where I finished the year. I think that’s the main focus going forward.”

Fritz is increasingly gaining a reputation as one of the Tour’s most astute on-court intellectuals, and has often given candid answers about tactics in press conferences. He revealed that although he plans his plans for each game in collaboration with his coach Michael Russell and his entire team, he also enjoys taking the lead when it comes to strategy.

“I would say that the things that Mike brings me are the tendencies of my competitors,” said Fritz. “I can do a better job, I think, of watching the full matches of the people I’m playing, but he’ll go through and pick certain parts and show me what he wants to watch. I trust him a lot on things like the opponent’s tennis and what they might do in the big time. I think that’s a really important thing.

“Then in terms of arranging points and playing, I say a lot of what I think and hear their opinions. It’s just that it’s always like this for me. I like to talk and break things, and if there is one of my team that does not agree with what I say, I want to hear and I want to know why they think that. And maybe why we don’t see it the same way when I express my differences, I feel the same way. point, things like that, why I do the things that I do, I feel like they agree with me.”

Fritz, who will lead Team USA’s bid for a third United Cup title alongside WTA Tour star Coco Gauff, was clear when asked about the issues he would focus on for the 2026 ATP Tour season.

“I think the big story is obviously the Alcaraz-Sinner feud, and if there’s going to be anybody who can step up and challenge that,” the 10-time tour-ranked lister said. “I think that’s obvious. And seeing how a lot of guys are progressing. Seeing if there are really young guys stepping up to compete with Carlos and Sinner.

“I think that might be a little bit of a stretch soon. I could be wrong, but regardless, I think there are a lot of guys who can get there. Maybe not this year, but definitely take big steps towards it. Guys I’m excited to see improve. Two that come to mind are Joao [Fonseca] and the Student [Tien].”