Alexander Zverev’s losing streak against Taylor Fritz continued on Saturday afternoon.
Fritz, the world number nine, defeated Zverev 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the Halle Open final.
It was an intensely physical affair for both players, who had to endure sweltering heat inside the Steffi Graf Stadium.
Who is now the best active ATP player without a Grand Slam title after Alexander Zverev’s French Open victory?
Yet Fritz remained ice cool down the stretch, securing his seventh consecutive victory against the German.
Danielle Collins, a former Australian Open finalist, has attempted to explain why Fritz is so effective against the recent French Open champion.
Danielle Collins says Taylor Fritz represents a ‘tricky matchup’ for Alexander Zverev
Collins [pictured below] and Sam Querrey, two former top-10 players on the professional circuit, began the Tennis Channel discussion by analysing Fritz’s excellence on grass courts.
Collins highlighted the American’s strong serve and the improvement of his return game on the surface.
The Miami Open champion also pointed to Fritz’s movement and his aggressive baseline positioning.
Querrey agreed with Collins’ assessment of Fritz’s serve, while also noting the American’s ability to hit the ball very flat on the grass surface.
Collins then analysed Fritz’s dominant record against Zverev.
“I mean, I think he goes into that matchup with a ton of confidence,” she said. “He’s beaten him so many times these last couple of matchups.
“I mean, at this point, is Fritz Zverev’s daddy? [laughing].
“I think the combination of Fritz’s game style, what we just talked about, and then also Zverev and sometimes his passive nature a little bit on the grass.
“I think he tends to stand a little bit too far back at times, but it’s hard when you’re returning against Fritz, you have to stay back.
“So it’s just a bit of a tricky matchup for him.
“And also, I think, if he’s going to want to continue to improve on the grass, he’s going to have to have to get up on that baseline, really hug the baseline, take control of the points early, and that’s not easy to do, especially when you’re not feeling well.”
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| 2026 Halle Open | Taylor Fritz | 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2025 Laver Cup | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2025 Stuttgart Open | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2024 ATP Finals | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 |
| 2024 Laver Cup | Taylor Fritz | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2024 US Open | Taylor Fritz | 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2024 Wimbledon | Taylor Fritz | 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 |
Alexander Zverev’s last victory against Taylor Fritz
Zverev last defeated Fritz at the 2024 Italian Open.
The pair met at the quarter-final stage, with Zverev winning 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals.
“Taylor has been one of the best players on clay this year. To have a win like that is great for me, especially after the fall,” Zverev said afterwards, as per the ATP Tour.
“I still have a little bit of pain, so once the adrenaline settles I’m going to check out tomorrow what it is. But definitely happy with the win.”
Who do you think was a better player: Alexander Zverev or Stan Wawrinka? 🤔
Zverev went on to win the title, beating Alejandro Tabilo and Nicolas Jarry in the semi-final and final, respectively.
