Taylor Fritz has withdrawn from the Madrid Open.
The American has yet to play a match on clay this year as he continues to recover from his knee tendonitis.
Earlier this year, Fritz said he was considering an extended break from tennis to allow his knee to heal.
Will you still be watching the Madrid Open?
Two BIG withdrawals…
Skipping the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open, it looks like Fritz has made his decision, but how could this break affect his place in the world rankings?
Taylor Fritz has less than 200 points to defend on clay
If Fritz were to skip the entire clay-court season, he could do so knowing his ranking would be largely unaffected.
In 2025, Fritz played four clay-court events: The Madrid Open, Italian Open, Geneva Open, and French Open, earning fewer than 200 points.
Points Taylor Fritz earned on clay in 2025
- Madrid Open (4R) – 100 points
- Italian Open (2R) – 30 points
- Geneva Open (QF) – 50 points
- French Open (1R) – 10 points
- Total – 190 points
Dropping those points from his current tally, Fritz would still be ranked inside the world’s top 10, and by some distance.
Live ATP Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,350 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 12,960 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 5,255 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 4,710 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 4,100 |
| 6 | Taylor Fritz | USA | 3,870 |
| 7 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 3,845 |
| 8 | Ben Shelton | USA | 3,770 |
| 9 | Lorenzo Musetti | Italy | 3,715 |
| 10 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 3,560 |
| 11 | Alexander Bublik | Kazakhstan | 3,445 |
| 12 | Jiri Lehecka | Czechia | 2,540 |
With that being the case, there is no pressure for Fritz to rush his return on clay.
Perhaps it would make more sense for him to heal up and come back on grass, his favourite surface.
How good was Taylor Fritz on grass last year?
After a tricky 2025 clay-court season, Fritz stepped onto the grass with high expectations, needing to improve his standing in the ‘Live ATP Race to Turin’.
The American did just that, winning two titles before reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Points Taylor Fritz earned on grass in 2025
- Stuttgart Open (W) – 250 points
- Queen’s (1R) – 0 points
- Eastbourne Open (W) – 250 points
- Wimbledon (SF) – 800 points
- Total – 1,300 points
He will likely need to do the same in 2026, as he currently sits 23rd in the ‘Live ATP Race to Turin’.
That means that if the season were to end today, he would miss out on a spot in the ATP Finals.
Live ATP Race to Turin
| Rank | Name | Country | 2026 Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 3,900 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 3,650 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 2,290 |
| 4 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 1,710 |
| 5 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 1,400 |
| 6 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 1,295 |
| 7 | Ben Shelton | USA | 1,260 |
| 8 | Arthur Fils | France | 1,180 |
| 23 | Taylor Fritz | USA | 765 |
Luckily for Fritz, the season doesn’t end today, and when the grass-court season begins, he will likely jump into the top eight.
The 28-year-old’s game is clearly suited to the surface, and after Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, you would be hard pushed to find a better grass-court player than Fritz.
He may even be in with a shout of winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon this year.
Fritz lost one of the closest four-set matches you will ever see to Alcaraz in last year’s semi-finals, as he narrowly missed out on a second major final appearance.
If he is fit and healthy, Fritz could use that experience to good use and go one better in 2026.
Only time will tell what the world number six can achieve on grass this year, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
We shouldn’t call time on his clay-court campaign yet, though, as there is still a good chance that Fritz returns before the grass season begins.
He has provisionally entered the Italian Open, Geneva Open, and French Open draws.
The 2026 Italian Open begins on Tuesday, May 5.
