Northern California’s Mariko Fritz-Krockow of Orinda delivered another strong showing on the international stage at the 2026 World Tennis Masters 40 & 45 World Team Championships in Portugal.
Representing Team USA, Mariko helped the U.S. women’s 40 team finish runner-up in the Young Cup. She also reached the singles semifinals and finished runner-up in women’s 40 doubles alongside German partner Eileen Aranas-Roth.
For the defending Masters World 40 individual champion, it was another impressive result and a proud moment for the Northern California tennis community.
Reflecting on the experience, Mariko shared:
“Getting selected to represent the USA at the World Championships is an incredible honor and privilege, and I’m so humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity – let alone for the fourth year in a row. This year’s event took us to Lisbon, Portugal.
I came home with two silver medals (team event and individual doubles) and shared the bronze in individual singles with the other semifinalist. I’m happy with that result, but I’ll admit that as the defending team and singles champion, I wanted more. I know it was a good result; I just kept measuring it against last year. So I keep reminding myself: it’s a good result – but hey, let’s go do it better and make the USA even prouder next year.
The tennis world is a small one, and the Masters tour is smaller still. The tournaments are played all over the globe and players tend to stay in their own section of the planet, so the World Championships is one of the few times everyone comes together. That makes it fantastic to see friends, some of whom I’ve known since juniors, and to make new ones.
A few matches really stand out. In the team semifinals against Germany, I played Eileen Aranas-Roth. I had the opportunity to play German club tennis this summer for Eintracht Frankfurt, and Eileen was on my team, so I’d just spent two months competing alongside her. She’s a friend, and she was also my partner in individual doubles. Playing a friend is always hard. You know each other’s games inside and out, and then there are the emotions of being your friend’s opponent on a world stage.
Another memorable match came immediately after that one. We played Italy in the final, where I faced Alberta Brianti, once ranked No. 55 in the world. It was a fantastic experience, and I was proud of how I played even though I lost 5-7, 4-6. I was there every step of the way, and I know I can get there if I’m given another shot.
I’m really proud of how supportive Team USA always is of each other. It’s one of the things I love most about this event: we cheer for each other and back each other up, on and off the court. You don’t always see that with other country teams, but Team USA is always a strong unit, and I love being part of it. I’m also proud of how hard we fought. Even when things weren’t going our way, every team member fought hard – and fought as a team.
No matter what you achieve, there’s always room for improvement. It doesn’t have to be anything huge or life-altering. Maybe it’s your endurance, your hydration, your recovery, your mindfulness, or raising your first-serve percentage. There’s always a goal to be reached, a challenge to be met. I personally want another World Championship title, and that’s what I’ll be fighting for next year.
My advice for younger players is to set your own goals and chase them for yourself. Other people will have expectations of you, and you should respect them – they usually come from people who care. But at the end of the day it’s your life and your career, and you’ll be at your most motivated when you’re working toward something you chose. Just don’t confuse “your own goal” with “on your own.” Stay humble, lean on your support system, and be grateful for every opportunity you get.
It’s always an honor to play for Team USA, and I hope to get the opportunity to do it again. The World Championships is easily one of my favorite events of the year.”
– Mariko Fritz-Krockow
