Taylor Fritz declares Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner “Big 2” after ATP Finals exit

Taylor Fritz turned pro at the height of tennis’ Big 3 era, led by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Though two of the Big 3 have retired and Fritz has become a Top 10 stalwart, the American is now dealing with the rise of a new era thanks to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“Now we’re just in the Big 2,” Fritz joked after exiting the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals in the round robin stage.

Fritz finished runner-up to then-No. 1 Sinner at last year’s season-ending championships but saw his hopes of reaching another semifinal dashed after leading Alcaraz by a set on Tuesday, ultimately bowing out after a two-set loss to Alex de Minaur this afternoon. Fritz could have guaranteed his spot in the semis by winning just one set against the Aussie, who had gone winless in his first five ATP Finals matches.

Meanwhile, both Alcaraz and Sinner have claimed berths in the final four and have split the last eight major trophies dating back to the 2024 Australian Open.

“I think the difference is back when we had the big three, I mean, I'm a lot better of a player now,” Fritz reflected of this changing of the guard in his post-match press conference. “I think obviously if I play well, I can play a close match with Carlos, like we saw.”

Fritz played Alcaraz similarly close in their lone Grand Slam match of the season, where Fritz forced the two-time defending champion into a fourth-set tiebreaker at Wimbledon. But despite a career-best result at the All England Club, the 28-year-old endured largely mixed results in 2025—compounded by a knee injury—and will finish outside the Top 4.

“I need to continue to improve,” said Fritz, who is known for his no-nonsense technical analysis. “That's just what my focus is. Obviously those two are ahead of everyone. The draws are open when one of them... I mean, [in] Shanghai Carlos doesn't play, Jannik happens to lose, something like that. But no, I wouldn't say things are super open.

“If you want to win a big title, more than likely you're going to have to beat one of 'em, maybe both of 'em. That's kind of just what my focus is on, trying to get healthy so then I can put in the time on the court to practice and improve and try to get better and work on the things I need to work on and to continue to try and close the gap.”

Despite the defeats, Fritz can take heart from the highs of his 2025 season, including two ATP titles in June—both on grass—two more Masters 1000 semifinals, and a stunning Laver Cup victory, one that saw the American lead Team World to a remarkable upset over an Alcaraz-led Team Europe.