Taylor Fritz’s Paris Masters campaign came to a gruelling end as he was beaten in three sets by Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

For two third of the match, Fritz looked in full control against Alcaraz and looked like he would go on to pick up a rare victory against the Spaniard.

Fritz was a set and a break up and even had match points to defeat Alcaraz, but the Spaniard once again showed his resilience to battle back.

He fought from 5-4 down to win the second set 6-3 to earn a very impressive comeback victory and set up a semifinal clash with Casper Ruud.

Fritz, understandably, is heartbroken about his defeat to Alcaraz, which also ensured he would not qualify for the ATP Finals at the end of the year.

More Taylor Fritz news

In his first Instagram post since the defeat, Fritz wrote: “This one hurts more than I can put into words. So much on the line, and so close. Left everything I had out there and wanted this more than anything.

“I’m still not sure what to think, but what I do know for sure is that I need to get back to work and there’s a lot of improving to be done now that I’m healthy enough to work. Thank you to everyone who was behind me.”

Fritz has now been confirmed to be 11th in the race for the ATP Finals, which is enough to be the second alternate at the year-end tournament, alongside Alex de Minaur.

The American has qualified for the ATP Finals in three of the last four years, with the other time, in 2023, also seeing Fritz act as an alternate.

The fact that Fritz has now been there and thereabouts when it comes to ATP Finals qualification shows his consistency at the very top of the sport.

The star has, of course, claimed a Masters title and reached a Grand Slam final in his career. He is certainly one of the best players in the world, but it is perhaps his performances at the biggest tournaments that have cost him in 2026.

Fritz only has one Grand Slam quarterfinal to his name in 2026, which came at Wimbledon in the summer.

He only reached two Masters quarterfinals too, at the Cincinnati Open and the Paris Masters, with a second round exit to his name at the Canadian Open and two third round defeats in Shanghai and Indian Wells.

Fritz only managed one ATP Tour title in 2026, which came at the Washington Open during the North American hardcourt swing.