Taylor Fritz Responds to Criticism From Former American Pros for Choosing Japan over the Maldives for his Vacation
Taylor Fritz featured at the Charlotte International exhibition tournament, losing to Frances Tiafoe.
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Taylor Fritz (Image via X/Jose Morgado)
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Taylor Fritz hit back at former ATP players for quizzing him about his vacation choices after the ATP season came to an end last month. The World No.6 was with his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, and his friends in Japan, where they spent a good vacation after a very hectic season on tour. Also, he was posting regularly on social media about his adventures in the Asian country.
Fritz ended his season at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he crashed out in the round robin stage after winning just one match. The 28-year-old defeated Lorenzo Musetti but lost to Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur. He lost to De Minaur in the final match of the group stage, which made him crash out.
His best form on tour was during the grass-court season, when he won two titles. He claimed the Stuttgart Open after beating Alexander Zverev and then won the Eastbourne International. Fritz then reached the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships before losing to Alcaraz.
However, Fritz’s choice of holiday has sparked a lot of attention as he chose Japan, which is a holiday destination, in stark contrast to what his fellow top players preferred. Many of his peers, like Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, and Alexander Zverev, among others, opted to relax in the tropical paradise of the Maldives.
During a conversation on the Nothing Major podcast, John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson all noticed Fritz had a good vacation in Japan and began to discuss why he chose the Asian country instead of the Maldives. They made a post about it on social media and even tagged Fritz in the post.
The American star wasn’t impressed by this and felt that they were making a big deal out of his vacation. He left a comment on their post, stating that he just wanted to enjoy himself after a hectic season:
I can’t go on vacation for a week?
Fritz has already left Japan, and he’s currently in the United States of America, where he competed in an exhibition match in Charlotte. The former World No.6 will be looking forward to getting the needed rest and preparation ahead of the 2026 season after having a poor start this year. He failed to reach the final of any tournament until the Stuttgart Open in June, after crashing out early at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Taylor Fritz reacts to the prize money increase discussion on tour
For the past six months, there have been conversations amongst players about the need for an increase in prize money, particularly in Grand Slam tournaments. In fact, earlier this year, a group of top 10 players in the ATP and WTA signed a petition to major tournaments chiefs asking for an increase in prize money.
However, discussions between the players’ representatives and Grand Slam chiefs have stalled, but it became the center of discussion at the Charlotte International, an exhibition event, featuring the likes of Madison Keys, Frances Tiafoe, Venus Williams, and Taylor Fritz. After Fritz lost his match against Tiafoe, he was asked during his press conference about his opinion on the need for a prize money increase:
I think things are going well. You see how it increases every year in prize money and growth, so I think there’s that, but I also think there’s a lot of room for further improvement. I think there’s ways we could do things better to just make this overall package that we have better, easier to follow for fans, which would, I think, help grow. I say, I’d say overall, I think, you know, tennis is in a good spot, and the sport is growing.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have also added their voice to the need for an increase in prize money in major tournaments. The four Grand Slams are yet to reveal whether they will meet the demands of the players. Nonetheless, the first Grand Slam of the 2026 season will begin in Melbourne.
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