Fritz Set To Become First Top 5 American Since Roddick

Taylor Fritz is not competing this week on the ATP Tour after compiling a 6-1 record over the past two weeks on home soil. Fritz followed a Dallas semi-final run with a title triumph in Delray Beach last week, claiming his fifth tour-level trophy and his fourth in the past 12 months.

While he is not in action on the court, Fritz is winning big this week in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. The American is up two places to No. 5 after Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal each dropped 500 points at the start of the week. The best part for Fritz: He is guaranteed to remain at No. 5 for next Monday's edition of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, when he will officially join that elite group for the first time and achieve a new career high.

Fritz will become the first American to be ranked inside the Top 5 since Andy Roddick in September 2009.

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Fritz spoke of keeping a "Top 10 mentality" after he reached that milestone last October behind his Tokyo title run. Now the 25-year-old has hit even greater heights.

The American's 2022 Indian Wells triumph in his native Southern California is the biggest factor in his year-long rise, with 1,000 Pepperstone ATP Rankings points added to his tally for his first ATP Masters 1000 title. Fritz's milestone moment was chronicled in Netflix's Break Point.

His Tokyo triumph earned him 500 of his 3,660 total points, while four United Cup singles wins added 350 additional points, his efforts helping lead Team United States to the title at the inaugural mixed-gender event.

Fritz is one of 11 Americans in the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, with World No. 15 and United Cup teammate Frances Tiafoe joining him in the Top 20. It is the first time since May 1995 that the United States has that many men inside the Top 50.

Australian Open semi-finalist Tommy Paul is the No. 3 American at World No. 21, while AO quarter-finalist Sebastian Korda stands at No. 26. All four of the Top 30 Americans are idle this week.

Fritz will next take the court in Acapulco, where he made the last 16 last year. Following that, he will return to Indian Wells as the reigning champion with 1,000 points to defend.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/Mr8ZbcA