Taylor Fritz has shown some increasingly worrying signs during his first few performances in the 2026 season.
The American has picked up four losses in his first two tournaments, including to three players ranked outside the top 30 of the rankings.
Fritz has been hampered with a knee injury, which even seemed to trouble him on his way to the Australian Open round of 16.
The star looks in desperate need of a rest, which makes his latest scheduling decision even more baffling.
Taylor Fritz makes worrying scheduling decision
Fritz’s decision to play through a knee injury at the start of the season made some semblance of sense due to the arrival of the Australian Open.
Grand Slams are the be-all-and-end all of a player’s season and it’s understandable that Fritz would risk injury to play the Melbourne major.
However, Fritz’s latest decision to play the Dallas Open seems like a wildly dangerous move for the American.
If you were in charge of tennis, what is the first rule you would change?
February would have been the perfect time for Fritz to take a step back on the ATP Tour, before back-to-back Masters events in Miami and Indian Wells.
Instead, Fritz is risking further injury to play a tournament that is relatively low-down on players’ priorities when it comes to scheduling.
Fritz, of course, would like to play in front of a home crowd, but he could be jeopardising his chances of playing the Miami Open and Indian Wells, which are far bigger American tournaments.
The star is the top seed at the Dallas event, so he has a big chance of lifting the trophy, but at what cost?
Who will Taylor Fritz play at the Dallas Open?
16 American players have signed up for the Dallas Open and Fritz could play plenty of his compatriots in Texas.
Fritz will start his campaign against Marcos Giron and will likely set up a match with Brandon Nakashima in the second round with a win.
The American has also been drawn in the same half of the draw as Learner Tien, Flavio Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe, and Marin Cilic.
What is your bold prediction for the 2026 tennis season?
Fritz is yet to win the event, and has only ever reached as far as the semi-finals in three appearances in Texas.
The star suffered a huge shock during his semi-final match in 2023, losing to eventual winner Wu Yibing in three sets.
