“I basically had no tendon left”: Fritz reveals the extent of his knee problem, finally excited about an injury-free pre-season
Taylor Fritz says the tendon in his knee is growing back together after months in which he “basically had no tendon left”, and is looking forward to his first injury-free pre-season in years.
Taylor Fritz, ATP Stockholm 2026 | © ESPER ZERMAN/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock/SIPA
Taylor Fritz, who won the Bybit Stockholm Open on Saturday, has revealed how badly damaged his knee was. The American said the tendon is now growing back together after a period in which there was almost nothing left of it, and that he is looking forward to his first injury-free pre-season in years.
“All the scans look good, and my tendon is growing back together. I basically had no tendon left in that area before, so I’m really excited about next season,” he told SpilXperten.
The knee is not completely healed. “My knee is doing relatively well. At least it’s good enough for me to train and play properly. Every now and then it still hurts, as it did during the match against Carlos Alcaraz, and I can also feel it after a long tournament like this one, but it’s not too bad. As a tennis player, you’re almost never at 100%.”
Fritz was speaking in Stockholm after beating Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (3) to win the first indoor title of his career, his second of the season after Washington. The title lifts him back up to No. 9 in the world.
“I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a pre-season”
The match against Alcaraz he referred to was their quarter-final at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he held two match points. Earlier in the week in Stockholm, Fritz had already explained that his knee had prevented him from improving for a year and a half. Now he can finally plan ahead.
“I have a lot of confidence heading into next season, and I’m looking forward to the off-season before starting my pre-season preparations,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a pre-season. In all the other years, I’ve been dealing with some kind of injury and haven’t really been able to prepare the way I wanted to.”
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