Roger Federer’s Ex-Coach Bets on Taylor Fritz to Win Career’s First Grand Slam Title in 2026
Taylor Fritz finished the 2025 season with two grass-court titles, including his fourth Eastbourne International trophy.
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Taylor Fritz (Image via X/Wimbledon)
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The 2026 season will start next week, and predictions for the same have already started. This year, only two players dominated on the men’s tour- Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. They were the winners of a combined 14 titles from 22 finals, which also includes the four Grand Slam titles.
The World No.1 and the World No.2 are expected to dominate next year as well. But Roger Federer‘s former coach, Paul Annacone, has backed Taylor Fritz to win his career’s first Grand Slam title.
I’m betting on my compatriot Taylor Fritz. The American seems increasingly comfortable at the top, so if he stays healthy, I can easily see him among the winners!
Paul Annacone told Tennis Channel
Fritz has made just one Grand Slam final. Last year, he reached the title clash of his home Major, the US Open, but was no match for Sinner, who clinched his career’s second Grand Slam title with a straight-set win. The only time the 28-year-old made another Grand Slam semifinal was at this year’s Wimbledon. Fritz’s campaign was ended by eventual runner-up Alcaraz in four sets.
This year, the World No.6 took home two titles, both of which came on grass. After defeating World No.3 Alexander Zverev at the Stuttgart Open, Fritz went past Jenson Brooksby to win his career’s fourth Eastbourne International title. He made another final, at the Japan Open, but he failed to win his second title in the tournament, losing to Alcaraz.
Fritz was also successful in booking a spot at the ATP Finals for the third time in his career. While last year he lost to Sinner in the championship clash, this year, he failed to progress beyond the round robin stage.
Andy Roddick on what Taylor Fritz must do to win a Grand Slam title
Andy Roddick, on his Served podcast, shared whether compatriot Taylor Fritz can have a breakthrough year. The 2003 US Open champion thinks Fritz’s performance will be determined by how he does against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
This really comes down to breaking through against Alcaraz and Sinner, and this is going to be a common theme. He’s getting to those points and Slams most of the time now, or facing Novak at the US Open, which, you know, is a tough matchup, or Sinner. He’s there. Like, it’s not hard to be top four or six in the world, and he’s kind of doing it every year now.
Fritz trails 1-5 in the head-to-head matchups against the six-time Grand Slam champion. The lone win that he registered was in the Laver Cup this year.
Against Sinner, the former World No.4 trails 1-4 in the head-to-head encounters. The win that the American ace registered was at the 2021 Indian Wells Masters.
The next big event is the Australian Open, where Fritz and Alcaraz have never advanced beyond the quarterfinals. While Fritz will be bidding to win his career’s first Major, Alcaraz’s goal will be to complete the Career Grand Slam and become the youngest man in the Open Era to achieve that.
This year, Fritz’s run in the first Major of the season ended in the third round, losing the match to Gael Monfils. The 22-year-old suffered a four-set defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic.
Sinner will be aiming to win his third consecutive title in the Melbourne Major. If he wins, he will become the second man to complete a three-peat in the tournament.
This season, the four-time Grand Slam champion made the final of all four Majors, winning at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Alcaraz lifted the French Open and the US Open by defeating Sinner.
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