If you’ve ever wondered what separates the mere mortals from the best of the best, a note current World No. 10 Taylor Fritz wrote to himself speaks volumes.
Fritz, who is currently the highest ranked American, just one spot ahead of countryman Frances Tiafoe, reached a career high World No. 5 in February.
But the 25-year-old Californian always wants more.
His ranking drifted after he was unable to defend his Indian Wells title from 2022, losing in three sets to World No. 8 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.
However, he’s come a long way in a relatively short period of time and his girlfriend revealed a brutal note he wrote to himself after losing at Wimbledon in 2021.
Heading into the tournament, Fritz was ranked 40th in the world.
He won a four-setter over Brandon Nakashima, before a tense five-setter over then-World No. 74 Steve Johnson to set up a clash against World No. 6 Alexander Zverev.
Tennis star Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle revealed the note he wrote to himself after a disappointing Wimbledon match in 2021. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Fritz accused himself of underachieving in the brutal note. Instagram / moorrgs
While Fritz performed well, winning the first set in a tie-breaker, the German bounced back to take it in four.
While a third round visit at Wimbledon is nothing to sneeze at, Fritz was far from happy.
“Nobody in the world is underachieving harder than you, you are so f—king good but 40 in the world get your f—king s—t together,” Fritz wrote at the time.
His long-term girlfriend Morgan Riddle posted the note on Instagram.
Fritz competing at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open on March 16, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
“A note Taylor wrote himself on the bus at Wimbledon on my phone after he lost and dropped out of the top 40 hahaha,” she posted.
He actually rose to 37th in the world but after a semi-final loss in Los Cabos after Wimbledon, he dropped to 42nd in the world.
That Wimbledon performance was the seventh time he had made a third round in a grand slam tournament but, at that point, he hadn’t made it any further.
Fritz and Riddle celebrating after he won the Delray Beach Open on February 19, 2023. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
He has since made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open and quarterfinals at Wimbledon, both in 2022.
However, by September of 2021, Fritz has been on a rapid rise, finishing the year at World No. 23, 2022 as World No. 9 and has remained in the top 10 since November last year.
Fritz is currently playing in the Monte-Carlo Masters, and will play unseeded Czech star Jiri Lehecka in a round of 16. A win would see Fritz match his quarterfinal run at the tournament last year, where he’d play the winner of Nicolas Jarry and No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.