Former WTA Tour star Coco Vandeweghe has criticised Taylor Fritz\u2019s decision to continue playing a packed schedule despite battling multiple injury concerns.<\/p>\n
World No 8 Fritz<\/a> is in action on home soil this week at the Delray Beach Open, an event he previously won in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n The US No 1 is the top seed at the ATP 250 tournament and is already through to the quarter-final of the event in Florida, receiving a bye in round one before defeating rising star Rafael Jodar 7-6(4), 6-4 in round two.<\/p>\n Fritz\u2019s campaign in Delray Beach comes directly off the back of his Dallas Open campaign, where he held three championship points in the final before falling to compatriot Ben Shelton<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old was noticeably struggling physically during stages of his campaign at the ATP 500 event in Dallas, and also looked far from his best during his fourth-round loss to Lorenzo Musetti at the Australian Open last month.<\/p>\n Fritz underwent meniscus surgery back in 2021, and knee pain has again proved an issue for him in recent months, with the American also battling an oblique issue.<\/p>\n Speaking during his Dallas Open campaign, Fritz explained why he was continuing to play a regular schedule despite physical concerns.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt\u2019s not something that gets better with a lot of stentinitis.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to just work through it. So I trust my physio, and we think the knee can get better while I\u2019m still playing tournaments if it\u2019s something I can play through.\u201d<\/p>\n Tennis News<\/p>\n Everything Jannik Sinner said after surprise Qatar Open loss to Jakub Mensik<\/a><\/p>\n Alex Eala gets honest about \u2018gap\u2019 to Coco Gauff after heavy Dubai Championships loss<\/a><\/p>\n However, Fritz\u2019s approach has now been questioned by Vandeweghe<\/a>, a former WTA world No 9 and a two-time Grand Slam singles semi-finalist.<\/p>\n Speaking on the Big T<\/a>\u00a0podcast, Vandeweghe questioned why Fritz was playing so regularly and not resting ahead of the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells \u2014 a tournament the world No 8 won back in 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s stupid,\u201d said Vandeweghe. \u201cI think it\u2019s stupid because he had that knee injury that he had surgery on.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I know it\u2019s a different injury and the oblique, but he\u2019s way too young to be pushing himself through these injuries at these tournaments. I think, come a Grand Slam, absolutely. Push through it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he knows that Indian Wells is one of his favourite tournaments, his biggest tournament for him in his mind, knowing Taylor, as I do, growing up with his dad, Guy Fritz, as my first coach, going to the desert was his second home, and he wants to play well there.<\/p>\n \u201cSo why would you sacrifice a run of back-to-back, like he did when you are pulling up to Australia, already injured? That, to me, just doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Fritz will look to continue his Delray Beach campaign on Friday night, with the top seed facing a tough quarter-final against compatriot and close friend Tommy Paul<\/a>, the fifth seed.<\/p>\n It is a rematch of the 2024 final at the event, won by Fritz in straight sets, and the winner will face either Learner Tien or Frances Tiafoe in the last four on Saturday.<\/p>\n Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n