Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe returned to the tennis court for an exhibition match at the Charleston Invitational.
Tiafoe defeated his compatriot in three sets to begin his preparation for the 2026 season in the best possible way.
The pair’s match joined Venus Williams vs Madison Keys at the American exhibition competition, which saw Keys defeat Williams in straight sets.
After the match between Fritz and Tiafoe, the two men discussed their relationship since their days on the junior tour.
Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe discuss their relationship
Speaking to the Tennis Channel after he had defeated him in the Charleston exhibition match, Tiafoe spoke about his decade-long relationship with Fritz.
He said: “It’s been amazing. To be honest, I can’t stand him! No, truly it’s been amazing. We’ve played against each other since we were 15, we’re both 30 in a few years.
“It’s incredible to see the matches we’ve played against each other, from the juniors until now. People just enjoying our tennis.
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“We’re going to have a lot of stories to tell, a lot of memories, and battles over the years. I’m so proud of him and happy to be along on the journey for sure.”
Fritz was equally as candid when discussing what Tiafoe has brought him throughout the 10 years they’ve known each other.
He said: “Frances is one of my closest friends, we’ve known each other for well over 10 years. Like you say, we’ve got a lot of good times, a lot of memories, and we’ve always just got on in a way that we can mess with each other and joke with each other.”
Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe’s head-to-head record
It might have only been an exhibition match, but Tiafoe will be delighted to have gained the victory over Fritz.
Tiafoe’s record against his friend is not the best, having not tasted success on the ATP Tour against Fritz since 2016. That victory was Tiafoe’s sole win, and it came in three sets in the first round of Indian Wells.
Since then, Fritz has won seven matches in a row, including two Grand slam victories at the US Open and the Australian Open.
Their last meeting, at the 2024 US Open, was a five set classic which saw Fritz reach his very first Grand Slam final.
