Taylor Fritz Says He Ignores Rankings While Facing World No.1s: “See Them as Best Guys and Nothing More”
Taylor Fritz will be locking horns with Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the Miami Open.
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Taylor Fritz (Image via X/Tennis IQ)
- Taylor Fritz has reached the last 16 of the Miami Open for the fifth time after defeating Reilly Opelka.
- He emphasizes that he views World No.1 players as just top competitors, not focusing on their rankings.
- Fritz holds a 6-1 head-to-head record against Opelka and is aiming for his second Masters 1000 title.
Taylor Fritz has won two consecutive matches in a tournament for the first time since the Dallas Open in February. The American ace knocked out comatriot Reilly Opelka 6-3, 6-4 in the third round to reach the last 16 of the Miami Open for the fifth time.
He played his third round match on the Stadium, where the tournament also saw the biggest upset as Carlos Alcaraz lost to home favorite Sebastian Korda in three sets. The Spaniard said he feels a bit annoyed at being the target of everyone because of his ranking and claimed that the opponents bring out their best when facing him. Fritz, at the press conference after his win over Opelka, was asked about his mindset when he faces a World No.1.
I don’t usually think that I’m playing against the world No. 1; my mind just sees the player as one of the best guys and nothing more. I don’t think about the ranking. When I played against [Rafael] Nadal and beat him, maybe I thought I could also be world No. 1 at some point, although I guess it’s not that easy.
Fritz secured his career-best win (if rankings are considered) when he defeated Alcaraz in a Laver Cup match last year. It marked his first win over the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
Those matches are always exciting, the same when I’ve had to play against [Novak] Djokovic, I wasn’t thinking then that he was the number one. In the Laver Cup, I defeated Carlos, and for me, it meant securing a great point for the team, but I didn’t even realize he was number one at that time.
Taylor Fritz added
Fritz is chasing the second Masters 1000 title of his career. Back in 2022, the American defeated Nadal to win his career’s first Big Title at the Indian Wells Masters.
Taylor Fritz on his match against Reilly Opelka
Fritz now holds a 6-1 head-to-head record over Opelka. At the press conference after his win over the World No.67, Fritz revealed how difficult it is for him to compete against a friend.
It’s not necessarily fun when you have to face a friend, although I’ve been doing it for a long time. After playing against Reilly, Tommy [Paul], or Frances [Tiafoe] so many times, you get used to it. It is what it is; you have to go out and play. When I met them, we were like 14 or 15 years old, at that time I was the worst, I can assure you, and everyone will confirm it, but that’s not the point. I would say Frances was the most advanced, but with Tommy and Reilly very close. I feel I was far behind them.
Last year in the Masters 1000s, he made two semifinals (at the Miami Open and the Canadian Open). Fritz has so far featured in one final this year, in Dallas, where compatriot Ben Shelton denied him the win.
The 2024 US Open finalist has yet to win a title since the 2025 Eastbourne International. Last year, apart from Eastbourne, he also made two more finals, winning the Stuttgart Open by beating Alexander Zverev and losing the Japan Open to World No.1 Alcaraz.
The World No.7 will next be playing against Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Ethan Quinn in the previous round. He holds a 4-1 head-to-head lead over the Czech ace but lost their last meeting in the Davis Cup qualifiers last year. If he doesn’t produce a decent result in Miami, Fritz could skip the clay swing to nurse his knee niggle.
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