Taylor Fritz is managing ongoing knee issues ahead of the Miami Open, hinting at potentially missing the clay-court season if his condition does not improve after this week. The American lost early at Indian Wells and faces a second-round match against the winner of Denis Shapovalov and Botic van de Zandschulp. He has dealt with the injury since last year's Cincinnati Open.
Taylor Fritz recently discussed his knee troubles with reporters at the Miami Open. “I’m still managing my knee. Some days it’s better than others, and I don’t know why exactly,” he said. The injury has fluctuated: it felt strong throughout the Dallas Open final but regressed before Indian Wells, where he fell in straight sets to Alex Michelsen, and similarly in Australia earlier this year. Fritz views Miami as a pivotal moment. “This is kind of the cut-off. We said, after Miami, if we’re not seeing big improvements, it might be time to… just slow down a bit on the playing and get it healed 100 percent.” He indicated clay courts as the likeliest stretch to skip, mirroring his approach last year when he bypassed Monte Carlo Masters, posted a 3-4 clay record, and exited the French Open against Daniel Altmaier. The problem dates to at least the Cincinnati Open, persisting through losses like the ATP Finals to Carlos Alcaraz—where he called his knee “completely cooked”—and a United Cup defeat to Sebastian Baez amid “pretty serious tendonitis,” alongside oblique issues. Fritz addressed fan criticism for playing injured, admitting past errors such as an oblique after last year's Australian Open. “It’s not something that gets better with a lot of rest. You need to just work through it,” he explained, trusting his physio. Miami's outcome will shape his season, prioritizing long-term recovery.