Best of 2024
2024 Rivals: Fritz vs. Zverev
The American asserts Lexus ATP Head2Head dominance in an outstanding year
November 27, 2024
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Taylor Fritz moved to 7-5 overall in his Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Alexander Zverev.
By ATP staff
To mark the end of another sensational season, ATPtour.com presents our annual ‘Best Of’ series, which will showcase the most impressive rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more. This week, we look at the best tournaments of the year.
Taylor Fritz seems to have won his rivalry with Alexander Zverev in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series this year.
The American, who finished the year as high as No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, put together a four-match winning streak against Zverev in the back half of the season. After Germany’s stunning quarter-final defeat in Rome, Fritz stepped in to show the evolution of their rivalry, marked by dramatic comebacks, key moments, and relentless competition.
Rome QFs, Zverev d. Fritz 6-4, 6-3
Two qualities that have proved crucial to Zverev’s rise to No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings have been his reliable forehand and highly developed serve. In his quarter-final showdown in Rome with Fritz, however, it was his forehand that grabbed the headlines.
After falling to the court in the third game, which drew audible gasps from the crowd, Zverev braced himself for a crucial victory. The German produced a technically measured performance to limit Fritz’s ability to attack on his preferred wing. Instead, Zverev fired 20 winners and did not face any break points during the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
“This is the shot with which I win or lose. It’s been like that my whole career,” said Zverev about his previous gift. “If I hit that shot well, that’s when I win.”
Zverev would go on to sweep the field in Rome to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title since the 2021 Cincinnati Open and take a 5-3 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head with Fritz.
Wimbledon R16, Fritz d. Zverev 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3
Leading two sets to the likes against Fritz in their Wimbledon clash, Zverev seems to have dominated his momentum from their meeting in Rome. However, if there was a textbook example of a ‘momentum shift’, it came with Zverev’s double fault at 4-4 in the third set.
It was the first time his career had been broken in the tournament and it sparked a heroic comeback from Fritz, who rallied to secure a straight-sets victory for the third time in his career. Not only that, but it proved to be a key encounter in their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, which turned the corner.
“I thought it would be really difficult to play this well and lose three times in a row [sets],” said Fritz, who went one better and won eight in a row, including the Eastbourne title.
US Open QFs, Fritz d. Zverev 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
If Fritz was to reach the semi-finals for the first time, having failed in each of the previous four rounds, he would have to do it in style. Against former US Open finalist Zverev, however, Fritz did just that.
With his consistently skilled groundwork and smart rallying, Fritz closed out the victory in three hours, 26 minutes. Two weeks ago, Fritz then defeated countryman Frances Tiafoe in a five-set epic to become the first American man to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament since Andy Roddick in 2009.
“I feel amazing,” Fritz said after his victory over Zverev. “I’ve watched a lot of quarter-finals in the last few years, and today I feel different. I feel like it was my time to take a step forward and I should have done it here in this court [US] Open before this crowd.”
Taylor Fritz” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/11/27/11/30/fritz-zverev-rivalries-us -open-2024.jpg”>Taylor Fritz playing in the 2024 US Open. (Photo Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Laver Cup RR, Fritz d. Zverev 6-4, 7-5
By the time of their next meeting later in September, Fritz had won four of his five hard-court matches against Zverev, and the momentum he carried into their Lexus ATP Head2Head showdown showed no signs of abating. Although Fritz won in straight sets, the match was yet another tough example of their basic battles.
Seeking his seventh win over a Top 10 opponent in 2024, Fritz once again cemented his reputation as one of the most improved players of the season. Down 2-4 in the second set, Fritz pulled off a solid match to defeat Zverev, who had lost five of the last six games to claim his third straight win over the German.
“I think [our] the matches are well matched,” said Fritz, who advanced (6-5) in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series for the first time. “I can serve and stay there with my job, because it is very difficult to break him. You have to work well to stay with him in the game or just serve you outside the game.”
Nitto ATP Finals SFs, Fritz d. Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3)
Fritz capped his stellar year against Zverev by clinching the Rolex Paris Masters title with an eight-game semi-final win in Turin. After an almost flawless opening set from Fritz, in which he won 18 of 19 first-game points, Zverev came on top to force a deciding set.
As had become the pattern in 2024, Fritz held his nerve in a much-needed exchange, saving five of every break point he faced in the third set to claim a break-time victory. The two-hour, 21-minute victory was Fritz’s fourth in a row over Zverev in their thrilling rivalry.
“I felt like I played an almost perfect first set, but things can change quickly when you play someone like Sascha,” said Fritz. “I found myself in some difficult places in the third, when we both started to enter and each other served even more.”
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