Taylor Fritz, like most athletes, has actually been itching to return to competitors given that March. The 24th ranked guys’s tennis gamer on the planet, Fritz remained in the middle of a solid start to his 2020 project when the sporting activity stopped briefly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Several months later on, Fritz is getting the possibility to come back on the court, signing up with the Philadelphia Freedoms of World Team Tennis which starts play at The Greenbrier in Sulphur Springs, West Virginia this weekend on CBS Sports Network. The 22-year-old Fritz states that returning to competition and the fun of playing in team events is what attracted him to WTT.
” It’s been pretty slow-moving with any type of kind of competitors for the previous couple of months. So I think, for me, playing matches– really being in genuine matches– is the best means to obtain myself playing the very best tennis,” stated Fritz in an interview with CBS Local’s Ryan Mayer. “So I think entering into Washington, the U.S. Open, playing World Team Tennis is mosting likely to help me a whole lot. And, it’s also a great deal of fun.”
The Philadelphia Freedoms first suit is established for Monday July 13 against the Orange County Breakers at 9 p.m. EST/PST on CBS Sports Network. Fritz says he’s expecting that initial match not just since he’ll be getting back out on the court however because he’ll be playing not just for himself yet his teammates too.
” Aside from simply being out there and also completing, the group facet of it is always fun. It’s constantly enjoyable to play as part of a group and any type of other events that have that group element to it I always truly enjoy,” said Fritz. “It just brings a different energy since you’re playing for all of these other people too.”
The enjoyable comes partially from betting your group however likewise, the level of competitors which has actually taken an even bigger step up this year with WTT attracting some big names to its rankings. Joining Fritz on the Freedoms is top ladies’s gamer Sofia Kenin together with fellow Americans Taylor Townsend and Donald Young. Their first challenger, the Orange County Breakers, features 30th placed Milos Raonic, 48th placed women’s singles player Jennifer Brady and 30th ranked ladies’s increases player Andreja Klepac. After that there’s various other big names like Venus Williams, Monica Puig, Sam Querrey, Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens.
Every one of that ability produces what ought to be an enjoyable season, one in which Fritz believes the Freedoms are more than with the ability of flourishing in.
” I know it’s a little bit extra stacked than common since a lot of people really simply want to obtain suits and also play, so there are a lot of truly solid teams. I do not know, I think our team looks actually strong all the method through if anything I’m one of the weaker links of the team,” said Fritz laughing. “We’ll have to see. I feel like if I win my suit, the rest of the group is going to do their component as well.”
The return to the court and also competition is something Fritz has been expecting due to the fact that he really felt that the start to 2020 saw him playing several of the very best tennis of his occupation.
” I felt actually great entering into Indian Wells, which is an event I commonly do well at, or can perform well at and then Miami I had no points to safeguard I just felt excellent concerning exactly how I was playing and also where I was with my position,” claimed Fritz.
Fritz will certainly currently have the chance to obtain a number of weeks of competition in prior to the ATP returns in August. The initial set of suits for World Team Tennis is set for Sunday, July 12 when the Orlando Storm takes on the Springfield Lasers prior to CBS Sports Network’s insurance coverage of the occasion grabs with the Chicago Smash versus the Las Vegas Rollers. Complete schedule and also broadcast info can be found on World Team Tennis’ main site.