Taylor Fritz has been the most consistent American player on the ATP Tour for a couple of years now, and fellow American Jimmy Connors wants him to push even further.
Fritz was always quite a solid player, even though getting to the top for him was a bit of a slow burn. He steadily improved every year, flashing a big win every now and then.
In the past couple of years, Fritz has finally gotten to a level where he has good runs consistently. After his most recent solid run at the Delray Beach Open, which he won, Fritz will become World No. 5 on Monday, February 27th, which is the highest he’s ever been ranked.
It’s a huge deal for the American who has proven that he belongs to the top, but now comes the hard part. The hard part for every tennis player is keeping themselves at the top because that requires playing well consistently.
Every player can have a good run every now and then, but being at the top consistently requires more work. When it comes to former player and tennis legend Jimmy Connors, he wants Fritz to aim even higher because lifting his foot off the gas pedal ultimately goes against everything Connors was as a player.
"It's a huge confidence builder for him to know that he is the first American in the top 5 since Roddick. Now keep that roll going and keep going out and keep grinding and working on your game."
The next step for Fritz, according to Connors, is to become a Top 3 player in the world. With the upcoming Sunshine Double and the way he’s played recently, it’s not that impossible to happen.
"Can't rest on your laurels. You broke into the top 5, what's it going to take to get to 3 or 2 or 1 or win a Grand Slam?"
As Connors said, this latest run should give him the confidence that he can get it done, but he's also not the only one on the ATP Tour that wants to win, as competition is fierce.
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