No American has won a tennis Grand Slam since Andy Roddick 21 years ago, but the 2024 US Open looks like a legitimate opportunity to end that drought. Taylor Fritz is the highest seeded American in the field this year.
“If it's me finishing it, then that's basically my life's dream, so it would mean everything to me,” he told CBS Sports.
Roddick won the 2003 US Open after Andre Agassi won the Australian Open months earlier. It was the surprising end to a 15-year streak in which American men won at least one Grand Slam tournament per year since 1988. The 21-year losing streak since then has been a tough pill to swallow for fans in the United States.
Outside of tennis, Fritz has some relevant hobbies. He's an avid gamer, a Chipotle fan, and a spicy margarita lover – he even developed his own recipe through a partnership with Maestro Dobel Tequila. On the pitch, however, he is a serious competitor who is quietly on the rise.
On February 27, 2023, Fritz achieved his highest ranking of all time at number 5. He entered the US Open as No. 12 and won his first three rounds in straight sets.
His next opponent will be number 8 seed Casper Ruud in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Ruud defeated Fritz 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the fourth round of the French Open earlier this year. However, Fritz said he was playing injured and felt the result could be turned around this time.
“Honestly, I think I’ll do exactly what I did at the French Open,” he said. “I had an injury that caused me to play most of the French Open and I had a bad outbreak in the third set of that match. I finished the match, but I don't know why I did that. I should probably do that.” Just withdrew from the match.
“It was pretty even up until then. I really liked the way I played and I think I will have even better chances if I play the same way on a faster surface, a hard court.”
Fritz reached the quarterfinals of the US Open last year, but he has never had a deeper run at a major tournament. Competition at this year's US Open appears to be a little more open after world No. 2 Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz were upset in the third round. However, there are several other favorites in the field, including No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 4 Alexander Zverev and No. 5 Daniil Medvedev – last year's runner-up.
Even though Fritz is the highest seeded American, he knows his compatriots are also capable of a win.
One of the dark horses of this year's tournament is unseeded Brandon Nakashima, who has already taken care of two top 20 opponents in Flushing Meadows and has a date with Zverev on Sunday. Fritz knows firsthand that Nakashima should not be taken lightly, having lost to him in the Round of 16 of the Cincinnati Open on August 13th.
“He's a really good player. I think he’s had some setbacks in the last year or two,” Fritz said. “I think he bounced back throughout the year, won a lot of games and gained a lot of confidence. He’s a really good player.”
Another player who No. 20 Frances Tiafoe came to New York with a lot of momentumwho reached his first ever final at an ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. He secured his ticket to the round of 16 after a thrilling win in one Five-set fight against his American compatriot Ben Sheltona semifinalist last year.
If anyone knows how to work a crowd and use that energy to their advantage, it's definitely Tiafoe.
“Frances is a good player in general, but … he really enjoys playing here, and once he gets going, he plays really well,” Fritz said. “It kind of carries that momentum and the energy of the audience, that moment. Just attending the US Open is one thing Frances does so well; he is a great tournament player. When he's really pumped up and really wants it, he's super locked in and that's when he plays his best tennis.”
Tiafoe will face number 28 Alexei Popyrin on Sunday. They have never played before but the Australian has proven to be a dangerous opponent as he is the one to do it Djokovic stunned on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, Tommy Paul may face the biggest challenge as he is scheduled to face Sinner in the last 16 on Monday. Fritz is best friends with Paul and knows his game well, as they previously won a bronze medal in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.
“He has really improved a lot over the years because he is very professional and focused,” Fritz said. “Just like he’s on the pitch and always very good. I always knew how good he was; he does it week after week now. He's incredibly fast on the pitch, gets to the net really well, and his game is also very versatile. He has a good serve and is just a great athlete.