"It hurts everybody, especially the Americans a lot" - Taylor Fritz bats for ranking points incentive for Olympics
Taylor Fritz is back in Australia for the 2024 United Cup which kicks off on December 29. Fritz will be representing the US in the team competition.
Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, the American stated that while he enjoys being a part of events where players get to represent their country, Fritz batted for added incentives in the form of ranking points for tournaments like the Olympics. The United Cup, despite being a team competition akin to the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, awards ranking points to players for each individual win.
Fritz also stated that American players are the worst hit when it comes to competing at the Olympics, which often coincides with the US hardcourt swing.
"Yeah, I mean, I think you could go either way with it, I think," Taylor Fritz said. "I think definitely they should bring back points. There needs to be some type of incentive."
"Like, it hurts everybody, like, especially the Americans a lot to not - like, you miss two weeks of the year on US hard. Yeah, I think that definitely needs to be brought back. I don't know. I could see it go every way. From a biased standpoint, a team would be great. It would help us a lot," Fritz added.
The American said that while winning a medal for their country is a big enough incentive for players, not everyone can get their hands on the prize. Those who do not win medals, Fritz noted, walk away with nothing to show for their efforts.
"To be honest, like, going to the Olympics, you go there to win a medal," Taylor Fritz said. "I feel like if I go there and don't win a medal, then it's not really, like - I don't know, it's an experience, but I'm not doing much for my country if I'm not winning a medal. It would be nice if there was more incentive."
"You're actually losing points" - Taylor Fritz on players prioritizing the Olympics over tour events
Doubling down on the need to have ranking points at the Olympics, Taylor Fritz said that players who are defending points from tour events during the weeks coinciding with the Olympics often end up losing points even if they are doing well at the quadrennial event.
During the same press conference before the United Cup, Fritz said:
"I think playing for your country is enough, but if you take [that] away, then there's no other tournaments during the Olympics."
"It's not only you're not getting points at the Olympics, you're actually losing. You're actually losing points. I'm defending a title that week. I lose that," Fritz reasoned.
The World No. 10 stated that playing for the country at a stage like the Olympics was motivation enough for players if they were not suffering losses on other fronts.
"So yeah, playing for my country is definitely enough if there wasn't anything else going on that week, and it's just the nature of the sport of tennis. There are more things that people focus on," the American added.
Team USA opens their United Cup campaign against Great Britain on Sunday, December 31, 2023. Fritz will take on Cameron Norrie in the men’s singles competition.