NEW YORK – Taylor Fritz got choked up when it hit him that he had reached the U.S. Open final.
His explanation: “I cry at happy endings of movies and not at sad stuff. That’s kind of just how I am.”
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Imagine what the 26-year-old Californian's reaction would be if he actually were to take home the trophy by beating No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy on Sunday in Arthur Ashe Stadium. That would make Fritz the first American man to collect a Grand Slam title in 21 years.
“I have a feeling I’m going to come out and play really well and win,” the 12th-seeded Fritz said Friday night after coming back to get past another American, Frances Tiafoe, in five sets to reach a major final for the first time. “When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.”
How big a deal is it that Fritz will even be competing at Flushing Meadows on the last weekend of the tournament?
The last time a U.S. man played in any major final was in 2009, when Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. The last time a U.S. man played in the U.S. Open final was 2006, when Roddick couldn't get past — yes, of course — Federer. The last time a U.S. man did manage to win a 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 is, indeed, quite a drought for a country that produced so many champions through the decades.
A son of two ex-pros — his mother, Kathy May, was ranked in the top 10 and reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and the French Open — Fritz first picked up a racket at age 2. Tiafoe, a good friend who's known Fritz since they were 12 or 13, said the changes since that are remarkable.
“When I first met him, Taylor was an odd cat, different cat. I mean, I definitely wasn’t thinking he was going to do what he’s done,” Tiafoe said. “He’s changed his body unbelievably. He's just really talented. He was a part-time player; he played couple times of week; had a court at his house. He’ll tell you, he went to a normal high school. He was just a normal kid, while we’re out there grinding. Then he started putting more time into it.”
Armed with a terrific serve and forehand, and working to improve other aspects of his game, Fritz said he likes the matchup against Sinner. They've split two previous meetings.
“I feel like I always hit the ball really nice off of his ball,” Fritz said. “I typically play well against him.”
Fritz has been the top male tennis player from the U.S. for a bit, getting as high as No. 5 in the rankings last year. But he hadn't been able to get past the quarterfinals at a major until now.
“Sometimes you come into tournaments and you’re, ‘Oh, quarterfinals is a great result,’ which it is, but at the end of the day,” said Fritz coach, Michael Russell, “you show up at tournaments to win tournaments. Easier said than done.”
In this instance, Sinner is a substantial favorite — he is listed at -350 money-line odds, according to BetMGM Sportsbook — on account of his ranking, his Australian Open championship in January and his 34-2 record on hard courts in 2024 (Fritz is 19-7). Sinner's on-court performance does not appear to have been affected much by having his doping case made public less than a week before the U.S. Open began; he was cleared after it was determined his two positive tests for an anabolic steroid resulted from unintentional exposure to the banned substance.
“He's so consistent. His intensity. His ball speed. He’s barely got any weaknesses,” No. 25 Jack Draper said about Sinner after losing to him in the semifinals. “And he’s just able to be there, point by point, and raise his level when he needs to.”
Pressed by a reporter to name something — anything — about Sinner that's flawed, Draper joked: “What’s one weakness? He doesn’t have many, mate. One? Don’t know. Maybe he’s too nice.”
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis