It is no secret that American men’s tennis has been lacking a superstar for years.
Many have come and gone, offering promise but eventually fading away. John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey – all excellent players who had impressive careers but ultimately missed out on individual success at the highest level.
Not since Andy Roddick has the US had a men’s grand slam singles title. Not since the days of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi has an American man dominated the sport.
Taylor Fritz has a long way to go if he is to achieve that level of success but, as seasons go, winning a bronze medal at the Olympics and becoming the first US man in 15 years to reach a grand slam final is certainly one way to get American fans excited about what may be to come.
“I’ve had a really great year,” Fritz said in an interview with CNN Sport. “A lot of high points, and regardless of this week I’m going to finish this year as my best year ever.”
Currently competing in the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, Fritz began his second appearance at the tournament with a 6-4 6-3 win over Daniil Medvedev, his 50th victory of the year. That was followed on Tuesday by a 6-4 6-4 defeat against Jannik Sinner.
Despite his strong year, Fritz is reluctant to see himself as the figure at the forefront of American men’s tennis.
“Personally I’ve never really seen it that way, just because I’ve come up in a group of so many other guys that are my age and are also very high-ranked, very good players,” said the 27-year-old.
“So I’ve always felt like we’ve kind of had all the expectations together. It’s never been so much on one person. Just naturally because I’ve been the top-ranked, people want to put it more on me, but I’m just focused on improving for myself, and trying to have these good results for myself.”
Power couple
Fritz credits his girlfriend, influencer Morgan Riddle, for helping him to maintain the mental edge required to compete at the highest level.
Riddle has become a fixture at grand slam events in recent years, supporting Fritz at major tournaments around the world. The pair started dating in 2020 and Riddle admits to knowing next to nothing about the sport at the beginning of their relationship.
Last year, though, The New York Times called her “the most famous woman in men’s tennis” and the pair’s profile has sky-rocketed since appearing in the Netflix docuseries “Break Point,” which follows the highs and lows of life in professional tennis.
“I think it’s great to just kind of have someone who is with you, supporting you, helping keep you focused,” Fritz explained. “As someone who had nothing to do with tennis before, in Morgan’s case, she’s done an amazing job over the years just kind of understanding.
“She gets it, and she also understands what it takes each week and throughout the year to help me play my best tennis and feel my best. I think that’s a big thing – I just kind of have someone helping me at all times.”
Fritz’s 2024 season has seen quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon come either side of a round-of-16 exit to Casper Ruud at Roland Garros. These were all respectable finishes, but the American’s season really came together during a short period earlier this year.
First, on August 3, he took bronze in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics alongside Tommy Paul. Then, 36 days later, he found himself facing off against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the US Open final, having beaten the likes of Ruud, Alexander Zverev and fellow American Frances Tiafoe to get there.
He would go down in straight sets, but had already proven that he had made a significant step up from previous years.
“I think a lot of it is mental,” Fritz said. “I feel like the level’s pretty similar (to last season).
“Sometimes it is just that one week or two weeks where you put it together and make a deep run. That can be the difference in the rankings between finishing in the top eight and finishing 10, 11, 12. It’s just literally a couple matches here and there, one tournament where it kind of clicks.”
Battles with Nadal
The ATP Finals is a tournament that will no doubt be close to Fritz’s heart. In 2022 – his other appearance in the competition – the American defeated Nadal in his debut in the tournament, the first time in his career that he had beaten a top-three player.
Two years on – and with the Spaniard approaching his last ever match before retirement at the Davis Cup Finals later this month – Fritz spoke of how grateful he is to have faced off against a legend of the sport.
“I feel like there’s so much I could say, but I’d say the big thing is we’re so fortunate to have been able to get the chance to play and compete against him,” he said. “There’s not one specific moment. I didn’t watch a lot of tennis growing up but I was watching Rafa.
“I remember the (2008) Wimbledon final with him and Fed. It’s insane that I was a little kid – not like a teenager – I was a little kid watching him play and then we grew up and got the chance to play against him. That’s something that’s so special.
“There’s only a couple players that are like that, and it’s really kind of crazy when you get the chance to play against them.”
As the era of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic comes to an end, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are perhaps beginning to establish themselves as the “big two” of men’s tennis, though Fritz will be confident that, in the coming years, there will be the possibility of two becoming three.