Taylor Fritz: Nothing’s Changed Since I Became A Father

Just 19, Taylor Fritz is already juggling more than most of his peers. Among the best of a young group of hopefuls, Fritz already has the expectations of carrying the American flag in men’s tennis, and now he has the duty of being a father.

Fritz and wife Racquel Pedraza welcomed a new baby boy to their family in January. Fritz, however, says the baby won’t change much as far as his tennis goes.

“Nothing’s really changed at all for me,” Fritz said Friday of being a father. “My wife’s been handling everything. She handles all of the off-court stuff so I can be on court more than I was before.

“I wake up at 7:00. I get breakfast. I drive to Carson where I train. I practice about two-and-a-half hours, get lunch, practice another two hours, go to the gym. Some days I go to physical therapy to get some work done, and then I’ll be home at, like, 9:00 at night and I go to sleep.

“My life really hasn’t changed too much because of how my wife has really stepped up. She’s really just — she’s really just doing everything she can for me and for my tennis.”

Although the results just haven’t been there of late. Fritz, who was ranked as high as No. 53 last August, is now down to No. 136. But he’s quick to defend himself.

“People can think I’m spending less time on the tennis court and less time in the gym,” Fritz added. “That’s perfectly fine, because I’m sure that will come back to get them if they’re underestimating the training and the work that I’m putting in.

“Really, nothing’s really changed that much. Not anywhere near what people are thinking.

“I’ll be an accepting father whatever he wants to do, even though I personally, my life revolves around sports. So I’d like him to grow up in sports, and obviously tennis is in his genes, I guess.”

Fritz is in action later today at Indian Wells against Marin Cilic.

“We do have similar-type games, we’re both pretty serve-dependent,” Fritz said of playing to Croat. “I’d say we are both pretty solid off of both sides and play aggressive baseline tennis.