Taylor Fritz 'lost the plot' as Alex de Minaur benefitted from 'weird loophole' at ATP Finals: Ex-American pro gives verdict on battle for SF spot

Ex-player Steve Johnson discussed Taylor Fritz losing momentum after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz and how Alex de Minaur advanced to the semifinals with just one win at the ATP Finals. The Australian will next face Jannik Sinner in the last four and look to secure a place in the finals.

Taylor Fritz has cemented himself as one of the top players, having peaked at No. 4 in the ATP rankings. He qualified for the ATP Finals after his second-round win against Lorenzo Musetti at the Paris Masters. Competing in the Jimmy Connors Group, the American No. 1 trounced Musetti in his first group-stage match, but his loss to Alcaraz in the next disrupted his rhythm, and he later fell to de Minaur as well, causing him to miss out on a place in the top four.

Former player and podcast host Steve Johnson recently spoke about Fritz losing the plot and Alex de Minaur reaching the semifinals with just a tie-break advantage. De Minaur lost his first two matches, but his win over Taylor Fritz gave him a 1–2 record, and compared to the others, he had a higher percentage of sets won.

"I think more of this is on Fritz, just a little bit. I think he lost the plot. I don't know if you guys watched the match when he played Carlos up a set, two all, break points, like good looks at break points to go up a set and a break. Didn't get it. And I think after that game, Carlos was like, Okay, like I think he was nervous in that moment just trying to like get year in number one." And then after he got through that game at two all, I mean, he was full-firing. You know, it just looked like the momentum was kind of out of Fritz's sail. So, I think, you know, kind of a combination of everything, but it's crazy that he (Alex de Minaur) wins one match, gets it in straights, and then still gets to the semis. I mean, it's one of those weird loopholes," he said in the Nothing Major podcast.

Fritz had a great showing at the Japan Open, where he lost to eventual champion Alcaraz in the finals.

Taylor Fritz referred to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as the 'Big 2' but considered himself close to their level

Fritz at the National Bank Open - Source: Getty

Taylor Fritz reached the final of the 2024 US Open but succumbed to Jannik Sinner, losing his chance to win the title. Although he couldn’t replicate that feat in the following majors, he consistently provided tough competition for the top two. In a press conference in Turin, Fritz referred to Sinner and Alcaraz as the ‘Big 2’, drawing a parallel to the iconic ‘Big 3’ of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

Fritz then discussed his own game and how he has significantly improved, saying he has already given Alcaraz a run for his money.

"Now we're just in the 'Big Two'," Taylor Fritz said. "I think the difference is back when we had the big three, I mean, I'm a lot better of a player now. I think obviously if I play well, I can play a close match with Carlos Alcaraz, like we saw. Yeah, I need to continue to improve. That's just what my focus is. Obviously those two are ahead of everyone," he said.

The 28-year-old boasts ten ATP Tour singles titles in his resume and was a finalist at the 2024 ATP Finals.