Taylor Fritz is never one to oversell a situation, and his thoughts on the Cincinnati Open arriving without Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner on the entry list were characteristically measured. Both stars are sidelined with injury, and Fritz, seeded sixth at the event, addressed the topic directly in his pre-tournament press conference.
Rather than celebrating a clearer path to the title, Fritz was quick to put things in perspective. He explained that the absence of the two best players in the world simply does not register until the business end of a draw. According to Fritz, a higher seed does not truly feel the difference of missing top names until the quarterfinals or semifinals, when those matchups would normally appear on the schedule. Before that point, he said, it is just another tournament.
Fritz also acknowledged that other top-ranked players further down the seedings might feel greater pressure to capitalize on the opportunity, but for him personally, nothing changes in terms of preparation or mindset during the earlier rounds.
The comments carry some irony given Fritz's recent results against both players. He has won just one of six meetings with Alcaraz, and that victory came at the Laver Cup, which carries exhibition status. Against Sinner, his lone win arrived at Indian Wells back in 2021, meaning he has dropped four straight to the Italian since.
Fritz's Cincinnati campaign also comes off a disappointing result in Canada, where he fell in the first round to Thiago Agustin Tirante. A deep run in Cincinnati would be ideal preparation before the US Open kicks off later in August.
TennisDraw users have Fritz penciled in as a sleeper pick to make noise in the bottom half of the Cincinnati draw.
