Fritz Defeats Cilic in Dallas, Reaches Final

Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz secures spot in Nexo Dallas Open championship match.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz secured his place in the final of the Nexo Dallas Open on Saturday, defeating Croatia's Marin Cilic in a compelling two-set match. The final score was 7-6(5), 7-6(3), marking a significant win for Fritz on home soil.

Why it matters

The Nexo Dallas Open continues to draw attention as a key event on the ATP Tour calendar, showcasing competitive tennis and rising stars like Fritz. This victory elevates Fritz's head-to-head record against Cilic to 3-1 and marks his first final appearance on American soil since reaching the US Open final in 2024.

The details

The match, lasting two hours and two minutes, was characterized by powerful serving from both players, with neither managing a break point throughout the contest. Fritz ultimately prevailed by demonstrating composure in the crucial tie-breaks, unleashing a total of 22 aces compared to Cilic's 16.

  • The match took place on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Taylor Fritz

A top-seeded American tennis player who secured his place in the final of the Nexo Dallas Open.

Marin Cilic

A Croatian tennis player who faced off against Taylor Fritz in the semi-final match.

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What they’re saying

“Just really calm serving. I think that's the biggest thing when I feel calm and relaxed, I serve well.”

— Taylor Fritz

“That's something every tennis player experiences when you're the one in the opponent's service games. You have some chances, you're cruising on your service games and all of a sudden they get one break point, you'll probably win it. You'll go to the tie-break, all of a sudden some returns came back and I just told myself to be really ready in that tie-break.”

— Taylor Fritz

What’s next

Fritz will now face either fellow American Ben Shelton or defending champion Denis Shapovalov in Sunday's championship match.

The takeaway

This victory for Taylor Fritz on home soil in Dallas showcases his continued rise as a top American tennis player, as he reaches his first final on American soil since the 2024 US Open.