Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

Taylor Fritz reveals challenging end-of-season goal as he prepares for Shanghai Masters

Originally posted on HITC | By Callum Davies | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 7:34 AM ET

Taylor Fritz has made it clear what he wants to accomplish on the ATP Tour before the 2025 season wraps up.

Fritz had a strong run at the Japan Open, making it all the way to the final with wins over Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Korda, Nuno Borges and Gabriel Diallo.

Although he lost the final to Carlos Alcaraz, his form since the grass court season has shown that he’s able to compete with both Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Looking ahead to the Shanghai Masters, Fritz has spoken about what he hopes to achieve before the 2025 ATP season comes to an end.

Fritz sets sights on world No. 3 ranking before 2026

Fritz is set to open his Shanghai Masters campaign in the second round against Fábián Marozsán, who recently fell to Sinner at the China Open.

Speaking to reporters in Shanghai, Fritz spoke about his plans and what he hopes to accomplish before the season ends.

Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images

“I have some goals in mind as well that kind of keep me motivated to keep pushing to finish this season strong,” said Fritz on the Shanghai Masters official YouTube channel.

“I think it’s not very out of the question to be able to finish the year at three. I think last year, when I was here in Shanghai, I was further away from finishing the year [ranked] four than I am now finishing year three, and I was able to do that last year,” revealed Fritz.

“It’s definitely a tough goal, but I think it’s possible,” he added. “Like I said, last year I think I was much further away from finishing four than I am now in the race of being three. So, you know it is doable.”

The American trails Alexander Zverev by 985 points for World No. 3 and has a semi-final run from last year’s Shanghai Masters still on his record.

Humidity is a concern for Taylor Fritz heading into Shanghai Masters

The humidity has been a talking point among players ahead of the tournament, and Fritz hasn’t shied away from sharing his own concerns.

Coming off strong performances in Japan under similar conditions, he knows what to expect and isn’t backing down from the challenge.

“It’s tough, to be honest. It’s never easy to play in humidity. I feel like it really just like saps you completely,” said the World No. 3.

Fritz acknowledged that everyone is dealing with the same issues, not just him. “But you also have to think that it’s doing the same thing to your opponent as well,” he added. “Last week was probably big for me fitness-wise because it was really hot and humid as well last week.”

“It wasn’t easy to play through that after spending a week indoors. I think it’s all about just kind of pushing through it, knowing that the opponent’s feeling it, too.

Fritz has found himself in a challenging section of the draw, alongside Ugo Humbert, Holger Rune, and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: