Taylor Fritz is now one win away from ending the United States' 21-year drought for a male Grand Slam singles champion. The 12th seed came from behind to defeat his close friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday, advancing to his first major final at the US Open.
The last American man to win a Grand Slam was Andy Roddick at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Fritz, however, will now face top seed Jannik Sinner on Sunday for a spot in the title match.
In fact, Fritz's route to the final was grueling; coming into the tournament, he had only one win from the ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, the ATP said. But he made history by being the first American male to reach a Grand Slam final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
The match against Tiafoe was a rollercoaster, as Fritz struggled to control the rallies from the baseline. Understandably hyped by the New York crowd and wanting to leave his own mark on the competition, Tiafoe seemed in control after taking the third set. However, Fritz remained in controlled composure and then broke Tiafoe late in the fourth set to send into a decider.
In the fifth set, Fritz made his move early by securing an early break. He then lost a double-break advantage but refocused to win 25 of the last 34 points to seal victory after three hours and 18 minutes. "I just told myself to stay in it and apply scoreboard pressure as much as possible," Fritz said.
Fritz, whose parents, Kathy May and Guy Fritz, had both played professionally, knew full well what a big moment it was. "It's the reason I do what I do, the reason I work so hard. I'm in the finals of the US Open," he said, his voice choking. "It's a dream come true, and I'm going to give it everything I have.
Confidence is high for Fritz, who also saw off German two-time ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. He now looks forward to making history and ending the long wait for an American champion as he competes in New York on Sunday for his first-ever Grand Slam title.
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