Despite nagging injuries, Taylor Fritz eager to make deep run at Indian Wells

Taylor Fritz is hurting.

Not all the time, not in a deeply debilitating way, but enough that his ongoing battle with right-knee tendinitis has become part of his tennis-playing identity — as much as his astute court acumen, steadfast competitiveness and Southern California charisma.

All of those traits will be called upon if the Rancho Palos Verdes resident is to make another deep run at the BNP Paribas Open, the place that feels like home and where his biggest breakthrough came in 2022.

“I felt like I had a lot to prove back then to myself because I wasn’t ranked as high, but I felt like my level was there, and it was one of the best, if not the best, week of my career,” Fritz said of beating Rafael Nadal for the title.

The run here established Fritz as the de facto face of American men’s tennis and elevated him to more elite echelons in the sport. Four years later in his 11th consecutive appearance in the desert, the question is less about proving himself and more about sustaining the level that carried him to the top tier of the game.

Front of mind, however, is his struggle with tendinitis. It hampered his offseason and is forcing him to balance rehabilitation with the intense demands of competitive tennis. For a player built around explosive movement and a punishing serve, the margin can feel precarious.

A heavy schedule of sponsor shoots in the days leading up to the tournament sent the stiffness in his knee “through the roof,” Fritz said

“It’s actually the worst it’s been in a while,” he said after his opening round defeat of Britain’s Jacob Fearnley in three sets Saturday night.

At 28, Fritz is no stranger to physical setbacks or the burden of carrying the American flag in men’s tennis.

The 6-foot-5 Californian has been carrying the red, white and blue pretty much since Andy Roddick retired more than a decade ago. Fritz, who also fathered a son at 19, became the only American man of his generation to reach a Grand Slam final at the 2024 U.S. Open. He also ended a 12-year title drought for U.S. men at top-tier ATP events like Indian Wells by capturing the crown here four years ago.

Fritz’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed within the tight-knit group of American players pushing one another up the rankings.

“He’s definitely led the pack in a lot of ways,” said 24th-ranked Tommy Paul, who is a close friend. “It motivates us.”

Read more:How Michael Chang is molding Learner Tien into a contender at Indian Wells

Fritz’s high tennis IQ and fiery competitiveness have long been trademarks. So too is a work ethic peers often describe as relentless, paired with a preternatural optimism that keeps him pushing through setbacks. He’s also a bit of a nerd. A spirited critique on his Twitch stream of this year’s ball change at Indian Wells recently went viral.

His composure was also tested after he dropped a tight second-set tiebreak to Fearnley. But Fritz reset and rolled through the decider 6–1.

“I knew that if I brought the same level in the third and was just a bit more tidy on some of the big points, then I could take care of the third set,” Fritz said. “It’s not like I felt lost.”

Next comes another test of the generation he helped lead. Fritz faces compatriot Alex Michelsen on Monday for a spot in the fourth round.

But Fritz has been having a bit of a wander in the desert lately due to his physical challenges.

Unlike many ATP Tour players who spend the offseason refining their games, Fritz devoted the lead-up to 2026 almost entirely to recovering from his troublesome knee.

During the six-week break he focused on strengthening work and controlled hitting to maintain timing without overloading the joint. Fritz said he considered shutting down completely but ultimately chose to manage the injury while continuing to compete.

Even while dealing with injuries in 2025, the seventh-ranked Fritz reached his first Wimbledon semifinal and won titles in Eastbourne and Stuttgart.

Fritz also qualified for the ATP Finals for a third straight year, reinforcing his belief that he remains among the game’s elite.

“I think this is extremely important year,” coach Michael Russell said.

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His 2026 season has been solid if not spectacular.

At the Australian Open in January, Fritz reached the fourth round before losing to fifth-ranked Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in straight sets, capping a stretch heavily affected by recurring oblique and knee injuries.

Back in the States, he’s reached the finals in Dallas on indoor hard courts and the quarterfinals in Delray Beach.

It helps that Indian Wells is almost part of his DNA.

Tennis, in many ways, always has been. Fritz’s parents both played professionally and that heritage helped place a racket in his hand almost before he could walk.

He remembers many trips throughout his childhood when he and his family drove the 100 miles from San Diego to the Indian Wells venue that opened when Fritz was 2 years old.

“I have so many memories, I couldn’t tell you,” he said “Now when I drive in, typically in my own car, it’s definitely a different feeling.”

When Fritz competes on home soil, his tennis often blooms. With friends and family nearby and the sights and sounds so familiar, he tends to play some of his best tennis

Fritz acknowledged there are no silver linings with the injury, no Lindsey Vonn-like stories that inspire him, no new personal insights. When it hurts, it’s not fun. When it feels good, he’s happy.

“It affects my mood a lot,” he said.

And though Fritz is still the top-ranked American, one place above 23-year-old Ben Shelton, that is no longer much of a priority.

“I’d rather be four or five in the world, and the No. 2 or 3 American, then No. 10 and the No. 1 American,” he said.

Read more:Column: Taylor Fritz wants to reach the next level of tennis

The urgency has grown as his career runway shortens.

It’s no secret that the tour’s top players, No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner, have opened a massive hole with the rest of the field in both ranking points and titles. Together, they have won every major since 2024 — nine and counting.

“They’re just a different level right now,” Russell says.

In 2024, Fritz was knocking at the door, though. He lost in straight sets to Italy’s Sinner in the U.S. Open final — becoming the first American man to reach that stage of a major since Roddick in 2009 — and ended the season ranked at a career-high No. 4.

The question for Fritz now is: Can he play through the pain and return to the standard where the biggest titles are within striking distance?

Fritz thinks so, but it’s day by day. And a resolve now shapes how Fritz approaches the sport. More time strengthening his body. Clearer long-term goals as he enters tennis middle age. More hours with longtime physiotherapist Wolfgang Oswald than perhaps any other player on tour.

“I think my tennis level is still able to improve and get better, but it’s starting to hit that wall,” he said, whereas earlier in his career it was the other way around. His body could handle the demands. Now he feels his standard is high, provided he’s physically able to produce it.

Russell, a former top-60-ranked pro, believes Fritz has plenty of great tennis left in him, with margins for improvement in various aspects of his game.

“Having the knee injury in the offseason I think is a real eye opener for him,” Russell said.

Fritz believes his work ethic will still create opportunities for major titles. And this week, being in a place baked in good vibes, should keep the adrenaline flowing.

“I know how good my level is when I feel like my body’s great,” he said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.