Taylor Fritz Battles Pain in Paris Masters, Opens Up About Serving Fear
Taylor Fritz secured his place in the second round of the Paris Masters by defeating Benjamin Bonzi. After losing the first set 3-6 and calling a medical timeout, Fritz staged a comeback to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
After the match, Fritz revealed the source of his discomfort during that first set. He has been dealing with an ongoing issue since competing at the Lyon Open in late October.
Injury Details and Impact on Play
At the Lyon Open, where Fritz reached the final before losing to Lorenzo Musetti, he began feeling pain related to his serve. He explained to Tennis Channel, "I've had this sensation since Lyon. Sometimes when I hit cutter serves, especially on the T on the ad side, or when I snap my elbow, there's pain in the back when I fully straighten it."
Fritz continued, "I felt it early in the match, but didn’t call for the trainer right away because I thought it would loosen up like before. I called the trainer in the first set, but afterward it felt better. It’s a sharp pain that sometimes scares me when serving." This discomfort sometimes affects his confidence on serve.
Previous Physical Struggles During 2026
This is not the first injury challenge for Fritz this season. He has struggled with chronic knee tendinitis since the 2025 offseason, which caused him to miss much of the clay-court season. Despite these setbacks, Fritz maintains a positive outlook and focuses on adapting his game.
Match Strategy Against Bonzi
Talking about his match against Bonzi, Fritz said, "I wanted to attack his forehand, but he was dominating with it. I realized I needed to serve well enough to avoid being broken." He adjusted his serve strategy by using more sliders instead of flat serves, forcing Bonzi to react differently.
"That helped me hold serve more easily," Fritz added. "I played more with my backhand without worrying about his backhand being strong. I just focused on playing my game and adjusting to the court speed, which is faster than last week."
Upcoming Matches and Potential Path
Fritz will next face qualifier Alex Molcan, whom he previously beat at Wimbledon in 2022. Should he advance, the likely third-round opponent is Cincinnati Open champion Arthur Fils.
- Paris Masters projected path for Fritz:
- R1: defeated Benjamin Bonzi
- R2: Alex Molcan
- R3: Arthur Fils
- QF: Carlos Alcaraz
- SF: Daniil Medvedev
- F: Alexander Zverev
Comments on Coaching Changes Among Peers
Fritz shared his thoughts on recent coaching moves by fellow players Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner. Sinner replaced Darren Cahill with Magnus Norman, while Shelton hired Juan Carlos Ferrero, formerly Carlos Alcaraz's coach.
"I didn’t have much of a reaction to the coaching changes," Fritz said. "A little surprised maybe, but that’s their decision. We’ll see how it works out. I didn’t think too much about it."
