Taylor Fritz, the No. 5 seed at Wimbledon 2025, previously supported Carlos Alcaraz’s participation in high-paying exhibition matches despite the Spaniard’s complaints about the grueling ATP schedule, emphasizing the stark contrast in physical and mental demands between exhibitions and tour events. In September 2024, Fritz took to X, stating, “I agree that it’s tough for the tour to shorten the schedule when players will just play Exos to fill the time. I’ve seen a lot of people criticizing some of the players asking for a shorter season because they go and play Exos. I don’t understand that part of the argument, because playing an exo vs a tour event aren’t comparable… A tour event can be 5+ days of playing all out and mentally being dialed in… versus an exo you show up, have some fun and entertain for a match or two. You don’t have to all out push your body and there is absolutely 0 mental fatigue or stress,” per *Express.co.uk* and *The Mirror*.
Alcaraz, who voiced concerns about the “hectic” schedule “killing” players, earned significant sums from exhibitions like the 2024 Netflix Slam against Rafael Nadal and the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, where he pocketed over £1 million despite losing to Jannik Sinner, per *The Mirror*. Journalist Jon Wertheim noted on the *Served* podcast that Alcaraz made more from these events than his Wimbledon prize money, per *Express.co.uk*. Fritz’s defense highlights his belief that exhibitions, like Alcaraz’s Garden Cup win over Ben Shelton in New York, are less taxing, acting “like a rest week,” per *The Mirror*.[
As Fritz prepares to face Alcaraz in the Wimbledon 2025 semi-final on July 11, his comments reflect respect for the Spaniard’s approach, despite Alcaraz’s 3-1 head-to-head lead, including wins at the 2023 Miami Open (6-4, 6-2) and 2024 Laver Cup (6-2, 7-5), per *ATP Tour*. Fritz’s grass-court form, with a 13-1 record and titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, fuels his confidence, per *ESPN*.[]
