Taylor Fritz became emotional when he realized he had made it to the U.S. Open final.
His reason: “I cry at happy endings of movies and not at sad stuff. That’s kind of just how I am.”
Think about how Fritz, 26, would feel if he won the trophy by beating top-ranked Jannik Sinner from Italy on Sunday in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Doing so would make Fritz the first American man to win a Grand Slam title in 21 years.
“I have a feeling I’m going to come out and play really well and win,” said the 12th-seeded Fritz on Friday night after he managed to beat fellow American Frances Tiafoe in a five-set match to reach a major final for the first time.
“When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.” How significant is it that Fritz is competing at Flushing Meadows on the tournament’s final weekend?
The last time a U.S. man played in a major final was in 2009, when Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. The last time a U.S. man reached the U.S. Open final was in 2006, when Roddick also lost to Federer.
The last time a U.S. man won a Grand Slam was in 2003, when Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero.
“I would love nothing more,” Roddick said on his podcast, “than for an American to win on Sunday. … I get this anxious feeling every time they have to answer for it.”
It’s been a long drought for a country that once produced many champions.
Fritz, whose mother Kathy May was a top 10 player and reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and the French Open, started playing tennis at age 2. His friend Tiafoe, who has known Fritz since they were around 12 or 13, said the progress since then is remarkable.
“When I first met him, Taylor was an unusual guy, very different from what I expected. I definitely didn’t think he’d achieve what he’s done,” Tiafoe said. “He’s transformed his body in an amazing way. He’s just really talented.
He used to play part-time, just a few times a week, and had a court at his house. He went to a regular high school and was just an ordinary kid, while we were out there working hard. Then he began putting in more effort.”
With a strong serve and forehand, and working on other parts of his game, Fritz said he’s confident about his match against Sinner. They’ve each won one of their previous meetings.
“I feel like I always hit the ball really well against him,” Fritz said. “I usually play well against him.”
Fritz has been the top U.S. male tennis player for a while, reaching No. 5 in the rankings last year. However, he hadn’t progressed past the quarterfinals at a major until now.
“Sometimes you enter tournaments thinking that reaching the quarterfinals is a good result, which it is, but ultimately,” said Fritz’s coach, Michael Russell, “you enter tournaments to win them. It’s easier said than done.”
In this case, Sinner is a big favorite—listed at -350 money-line odds according to BetMGM Sportsbook—due to his ranking, his Australian Open win in January, and his 34-2 record on hard courts in 2024 (while Fritz is 19-7).
Sinner’s performance on the court doesn’t seem to have been impacted much by his recent doping case, which became public just before the U.S. Open started. He was cleared after it was found that his two positive tests for an anabolic steroid were due to unintentional exposure.
