Taylor Fritz Announces Break After Shanghai Masters: “I’ve Hit My Limit”.

Taylor Fritz said that he plans to take a short break after losing in the Shanghai Masters.

The debate surrounding the length of the ATP and WTA tour schedules has heated up during the Asian Swing. Several players have voiced their concerns over the past week, which was punctuated by tough scenes from the Shanghai Masters.

The inhospitable weather conditions have forced some of the players to struggle through matches or retire mid-match, like Jannik Sinner did yesterday against Tallon Griekspoor. The ATP World No.2 hobbled off the court due to cramps, which immediately reignited the scheduling debate.

American tennis star Taylor Fritz is the latest casualty of the never-ending schedule. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard defeated Fritz in straight sets during their highly anticipated Round of 32 match in Shanghai: 6-4, 7-5.

On Monday morning, Fritz took to Instagram to announce that he was taking a short break from the ATP Tour to rest and recharge. He cited the brutal conditions and hitting his personal limit.

“Brutal conditions out there yesterday— respect to my opponent for a tough, gritty win. If u know me, you know I love to compete more than anything,” wrote Fritz in the Instagram post caption.

“That being said it’s been A LOT lately, and this week it’s clear to me that I’ve hit my limit. Thank you for all the love in Shanghai [heart emoji] It’s time to take a very short and needed rest to recharge and finish the year strong [flexed bicep emoji].”

As always, Fritz’s analysis was spot on. Not only did he congratulate Mpetshi Perricard for the gritty win, but his schedule has been relentless and needs a break if he is going to make a strong push to the ATP Finals.

On the other hand, as Novak Djokovic and others have said, it is an individual sport, and players can make their own scheduling choices.

Fritz has played 22 tournaments this year, not counting exhibitions like the upcoming Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia or international competitions like the Laver Cup and Davis Cup.

Fritz is currently the ATP World No.4 with a record of 50-19 and two titles. He is currently fifth in the race to the ATP Finals in Turin, and will need to be fully charged if he is going to pull off an upset in Italy next month.

Knowing Fritz’s competitive spirit, he will not be gone for long. The Asian Swing will continue over the next few weeks, before the ATP Finals kicks off in Turin on November 9.

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