Taylor Fritz defeated Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the Mubadala DC Open. The world No. 10 is managing ongoing knee tendinitis while preparing for the US Open.
Fritz, seeded third in Washington, secured his 250th career hard-court victory. He saved three break points in the first set before breaking twice himself to close out the match.
The American has dealt with the knee issue since late 2025. It flared during the ATP Finals and resurfaced at Wimbledon after strong results on grass in Stuttgart and Halle.
Fritz said the tendon needs more time to strengthen but added that he prefers to keep playing. He will next face Kamil Majchrzak in the second round.
Ranked No. 10, Fritz is using the hard-court event to test how much load his knee can handle ahead of the US Open.