Taylor Fritz is the "BOSS" in Stuttgart, wins fifth straight match vs. Alexander Zverev

Taylor Fritz kicked off the grass-court season with his first title of the year, knocking out Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-6 (0) to lift the BOSS Open trophy in Stuttgart.

Fritz, who wears the clothing brand that also serves as the tournament's title sponsor, was last in the winner’s circle in 2024 when he won a 250-level grass title in Eastbourne. Seeded second in Stuttgart, Fritz weathered a mid-match rain delay to return to the Top 4 and win a fifth straight match against a top seed playing at home in one hour and 24 minutes.

“I’m back,” Fritz cheekily wrote on the camera lens following the victory.

The world No. 7 ended 2024 on a high, reaching finals at the US Open and the ATP Finals to finish the season ranked fourth in the rankings. But aside from a semifinal finish at the Miami Open, Fritz failed to make it past the fourth round at any of the other major or Masters 1000 tournaments, losing in the first round of Roland Garros last month.

Looking to start the grass swing on a better note, Fritz breezed into his first final of the season without dropping a set, winning a second-set tiebreaker over No. 4 seed Félix Auger-Aliassime to book a 13th career meeting with Zverev.

Fritz had won his last four matches against the former world No. 2, including wins at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the ATP Finals—all last year. The American got off to a strong start on Sunday, scoring the lone break of the opening set before rain interrupted the final.

Once the pair was back on court, Fritz held on to force a tiebreaker, where he marched to the title without losing a point in the Sudden Death.

A frustrated Zverev jokingly told Fritz he was "fucking tired of him" after losing to Fritz for a fifth straight time.

"Please stay away from me," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. "Don't come to Germany anymore."

Fritz will move just behind Zverev in the ATP rankings come Monday, returning to No. 4 with the addition of 250 ranking points. He will also bump former No. 1 Novak Djokovic down to No. 5, which could set the stage for a blockbuster Wimbledon quarterfinal between the 24-time Grand Slam champion and one of the game’s Top 4 players.