Taylor Fritz said in March after winning the title at Indian Wells that his goal was to break into the top 10.
The 24-year-old this week became the first male player from his country to break into the top 10 since Jack Sock on November 6 2017. He rose three places to number 8 in the world after winning the Japan Open in Tokyo last week after beating compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the final. .
In addition, he is the third player to break into the top 10 for the first time this season after Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie.
“I think every kid growing up and every player when they first start playing, getting into the top 10 is a huge achievement and it’s a dream you want to come true,” said Fritz.
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“Obviously everyone wants to be a world number 1, a top 5, there’s a lot more I want to achieve. But I will always be in the top 10. It can never be taken away from me.”
“It’s one of those things that drives you and you’ve wanted it for a very long time. So it’s great to finally be able to achieve that.”
The US tennis player started the 2022 season by occupying the world number 23 which at that time was the highest ranking in his career. But there are signs that he is experiencing waiting. He finished the 2021 season by qualifying for the semifinals at Indian Wells, the final at St. Petersburg, and the quarterfinals in Paris (Masters 1000 tournament). Eight of the 11 wins during that period he won in straight sets.
“I felt like things were starting to come together and as I entered the season, a lot of people were asking me what it took to be a top 10 player,” Taylor Fritz recalled.
“I replied, ‘Nothing, I just have to play the way I play’. Of course I need positive results, but I feel when I get to this level in my 20s, I think I’m almost the same level as a top 10 player. So I definitely believed from the end of the season that this could be achieved.”
The American brought last season’s final momentum this season as he made the biggest breakthrough of his career to date. He surprisingly beat Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells final to win the Masters 1000 tournament title for the first time in his career. He added two more titles this season when he won at Eastbourne and Tokyo.
To date in the 2022 season, Fritz has bagged 41 wins. Prior to this season, he had never claimed more than 34 wins in a single season. The new world number 8 is then schedule to return to compete at the Stockholm Open.
