When Taylor Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, and Frances Tiafoe, a 26-year-old from Maryland, walked onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first U.S. Open semifinal between two American men in 19 years, the crowd might have had a hard time choosing who to cheer for.
There was a burst of applause right before the match started, setting the stage for an exciting game.
As the match progressed, it was difficult to pick a favorite between the two close friends who have known each other since they were kids in tournaments for players younger than 14.
In the end, the crowd cheered for Fritz, who made a strong comeback with a six-game streak to win 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and reach his first Grand Slam final.
“It’s the reason why I do what I do,” Fritz said to the fans, his voice breaking during the post-match interview. “It’s the reason why I work so hard.”
The No. 12 seed, Fritz, won his seventh match out of eight against No. 20 Tiafoe, earning a chance to play No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the championship on Sunday.
“He was overwhelming from the baseline so much … and I just tried to tell myself to stay in it and fight,” Fritz said. He was close to losing in the fourth set but told himself to give everything he had and hope that Tiafoe’s performance might drop a little.
Fritz will be the first American man to appear in a major final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009 and the first in New York since Roddick’s loss to Federer there in 2006.
If Fritz wins against Sinner, he will be the first American man to win a Grand Slam trophy since Roddick won the U.S. Open 21 years ago.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m in the final. So I’m going to come out and give everything I can possibly give,” Fritz said. “I can’t wait.”
From a 4-all tie in the fourth set, Taylor Fritz took control. Frances Tiafoe struggled as he cramped up, partly due to nerves thinking he was close to winning and getting a chance to play for the title.
“I felt like my body shut down on me,” Tiafoe said, noting his record of 7-14 in five-set matches. “I got ahead of myself.”
After a double-fault gave Fritz a break to make it 4-0 in the fifth set, Tiafoe threw his racket in frustration. Fritz then double-faulted in the next game, but quickly broke back and won the match. They met at the net and shared a hug.
“Sometimes,” Tiafoe said, “it’s not meant to be.”
Jannik Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy who was recently cleared in a doping case, won his match against No. 25 Jack Draper with scores of 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2. The match included a lot of physical play, with both players receiving treatment from trainers during the long second set.
“It was a very physical match, as we see,” Sinner said. “I just tried to stay there mentally.”
Sinner had his left wrist massaged after a fall, while Draper needed medical help after vomiting twice in a game. With the temperature in the high 70s and humidity above 60%, a vacuum was used to clean the area behind the baseline after Draper tried to clean up his mess with a towel.
There was no such drama during the match between Tiafoe and Fritz. “It was a great night, to have two Americans battling,” Tiafoe said.
The guest boxes for each player showed their different styles. Frances Tiafoe, who is very animated, would celebrate key moments by raising his fist, gritting his teeth, wagging his racket, or nodding as he walked to the sideline.
His team, including coach David Witt (who previously worked with Venus Williams) and Jessica Pegula (who is in the U.S. Open women’s final against Aryna Sabalenka), was loud and enthusiastic throughout the match.
In contrast, Taylor Fritz’s team was more reserved in their celebrations.
Fritz had never made it past the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam until now, but his path included victories over Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev, and Matteo Berrettini, who have a combined total of six runner-up finishes in Slam events.
Fritz began strong on Friday, serving at speeds up to 135 mph. However, Tiafoe quickly came back and won five games in a row. In the next set, Fritz played almost flawlessly, winning 24 of 25 service points and making all eight of his net approaches.
Tiafoe regrouped and broke Fritz’s serve to win the third set, not giving Fritz a single break chance.
Tiafoe seemed to tire out after a particularly grueling 31-stroke rally in the fourth set, which he called “definitely an intense rally.” He then lost the last game of the fourth set by double-faulting twice and missing a drop shot.
“This one’s going to hurt really, really bad,” Tiafoe said.
