2025 Rivalry: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Taylor Fritz | ATP Tour

ATP Tour

2025 Rivalry: Alcaraz vs. Fritz

A look back at four of this year’s tightest clashes between these top-10 rivals

November 26, 2025

To mark the end of another exciting season, ATPTour.com presents our annual “Best of” series, which will reflect the most interesting rivalries, games, comebacks, upsets and more. This week, we’re taking a look back at the best games of the year.

Four Lexus ATP head-to-head matches in 2025 solidified the budding rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz. The pair had only met twice before this season and this year the pair have locked horns in some of the biggest tennis tournaments, from the Wimbledon semi-finals to the Nitto ATP final.

ATPTour.com looks back at four Tour-level battles between Alcaraz and Fritz this season.

Wimbledon SF, Alcaraz d. Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(6)
Tensions in the Wimbledon semi-final showdown between Alcaraz and Fritz reached a breaking point at the climax of the match. The Spaniard faced two set points at 4/6 in the fourth set tie-break and was on the verge of being forced into a fifth set, but he scored four points in a row to reach his third consecutive SW19 final.

Alcaraz comes into the competition on a 24-match winning streak, while Fritz is coming off a nine-match winning streak, including a title win at Eastbourne during an excellent grass-court season. However, the American was unable to continue that form on Center Court at the All England Club as he is still awaiting his first tour-level win against Alcaraz.

The Spaniard controlled the game from the baseline, with precise lobs and powerful second serves that kept Fritz at a disadvantage. Alcaraz raised his game when it mattered most and didn’t throw a punch when it mattered most, such as when Fritz threatened his first set point in the fourth set when he sprinted to the net. On the second count of 6/5, the American regretted the inside-out forehand error.

Carlos Alcaraz” style=”width:100%;” src=”

^{_{Photo credit: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images.}}

Fritz D. Laver Cup Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2
Fritz finally cracked the code against Alcaraz, defeating the Spaniard for the first time in four attempts and setting up an easy win for Team World at the Laver Cup in San Francisco in September.

The Americans were fearless, controlling the baseline on every possession and applying relentless pressure on Europe’s Alcaraz, who converted 16 of his 20 net points. In the second set, Fritz won the last four games in a row to seal an unforgettable victory. According to Infosys ATP statistics, there was a crucial moment in the first game of the match, when Fritz saved the only two break points in the entire match.

“I played Carlos three times and he beat me in the first game every time,” Fritz said. “Coming out of that first game meant a lot. I just made sure I didn’t doubt myself again.”

Tokyo final, Alcaraz d. Fritz 6-4, 6-4
Just nine days after their meeting in San Francisco, Alcaraz and Fritz were at the net again, this time at the Kinoshita Japan Open in Tokyo, where the world No. 1 was seeking revenge.

In the ATP 500 hard-court title match, Alcaraz showed his authority with his signature firepower and shooting performance. He dominated Fritz from all corners of the pitch and didn’t let up in the 93-minute victory. Fritz took a medical timeout at the end of the first set to receive treatment on his left thigh, but it was taped three games into the second set. As he struggled to move efficiently, the American found his chances of reclaiming the Tokyo 2022 title gone.

“I’m very happy with my performance and everything,” said Alcaraz, who recovered from a scare with a left ankle injury in the opening round to lift the trophy on his debut in Tokyo. “The ankle didn’t go well at the start of the week, but the way I came back from it, I’m really happy with it.”

Nitto ATP final round robin, Alcaraz d. Fritz 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3
The two rivals saved their best match of the season for the last match and the Nitto ATP Finals. The confident, hard-hitting Fritz maintained momentum for much of the first 90 minutes and broke serve twice in the second set to go up 2-2 and already have a set lead. Then PIF ATP No. 1 Alcaraz turned the tables in Turin.

The most crucial moment came when Fritz saved his first break point in the second set. He had the upper hand in a thrilling 19-shot standoff, but Alcaraz moved forward – similar to his tactic on set point against Fritz in the Wimbledon semifinals – to block a backhand volley. Fritz had a chance to go over the top on that rally, but opted to let the ball bounce, a decision he later admitted, “I probably should have passed the ball out of the air.” Alcaraz ultimately kept the score alive after 14 minutes, reducing Fritz’s chances of an upset.

In this high-quality tug-of-war, Alcaraz and Fritz competed for the baseline position, each risking a return attack in search of their first offensive opportunity. But in the end, Alcaraz went into lockdown mode and held on with a clean third set.

“I was really relieved after winning because of everything I had been through in the competition,” Alcaraz said. “I don’t feel the ball as well as I did in the first game [match]but I’m really glad I found my way back. “