At this U.S. Open, Taylor Fritz bolstered his argument as the best American male tennis player of his generation.
On Sunday, he can accomplish something that no American man has done in 21 years: win a Grand Slam singles title.
“It’s the reason why I do what I do,” an emotional Fritz said in an on-court interview, later relating that he cries at the endings of happy movies. “It’s the reason why I work so hard. I mean, I’m in the finals of the U.S. Open.”
Fritz beat fellow 26-year-old American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in Friday’s semifinals to reach a Sunday final against top seed Jannik Sinner of Italy.
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In a pivotal stretch, Fritz won 11 consecutive points at the end of the fourth set and start of the fifth.
“Just out of nowhere, I just had, like, some in-and-out cramps,” Tiafoe said. “I just felt like my body kind of shut down on me. I don’t know, probably had a lot to do with nerves. I wasn’t tired at all.
“I’m going to let this sting, but I’m going to learn from this.”
Fritz and Tiafoe played the first all-American men’s Slam semifinal since the 2005 U.S. Open (Andre Agassi d. Robby Ginepri).
It was guaranteed to produce the first U.S. men’s Grand Slam singles finalist since 2009 Wimbledon (Andy Roddick).
Now, Fritz can become the first American man to win a singles Slam since the 2003 U.S. Open (also Roddick). Before this drought, the longest span that no American man won a major singles title was five years.
Fritz was the last American to win the U.S. Open boys’ title in 2015. He was the No. 1 junior player in the world.
He also went eight Grand Slams to start his career without winning a main draw match. He didn’t make the second week until his 24th Slam. He lost his first four Grand Slam quarterfinals.
“One thing that’s never been in doubt throughout my tennis career, whether I’m playing awful or hitting one side bad or whatever the situation could be throughout my career, the ups and downs, I think one thing that’s never been in question is my heart,” Fritz said.
He saw other Americans reach major semis — Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.
Now he has surpassed them all, but the climb will not be complete without one more win.
“Whenever one of us does something, the others follow,” Fritz said. “The others get belief from it. I think this is just the start for all of us.”
