Taylor Fritz‘s search for a singles title in 2026 continues as he has come up short in a final for the second consecutive week. He lost 6-4, 6-4 to compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the final of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. The world No. 10 wasn’t a threat as his opponent won in only 67 minutes. After the match, Fritz hilariously admitted not liking Tiafoe because of the result, even though the two are very close friends.

“I’ll start by just saying congrats to Frances (Tiafoe) and his team,” he said during his post-match speech. “Just too good. You played great today, man. Super happy for you. As much as I don’t like you right now… You’re one of my best friends. I’m super happy for you to get the title. You’ve been having a great year, so congrats, dude.”

This is only the second time that Fritz has suffered a defeat at the hands of Tiafoe in a tour-level match; the first was in 2016. He had led the H2H record 7-1 before the final and was being considered the favorite coming into the match.

However, Tiafoe looked to be the better player from the get-go and was especially solid on his serve. He didn’t allow Fritz a single opportunity of clinching a break and held his serve throughout the encounter.

Tiafoe won a break in both sets and racked up a comfortable win in the end. This result saw him become the first American to lift the title in Halle since the tournament’s establishment in 1993. This is also the biggest title win of his career, as all of his previous three triumphs had come in ATP 250 events. He has finally bagged a 500-title.