Taylor Fritz fails in US Open final, but hope springs for American men's tennis

NEW YORK—A week that began with sky-high hopes and expectations in U.S. tennis trenches ended on a sobering note on Sunday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the first American to contest a US Open final since Andy Roddick in 2006, 26-year-old Taylor Fritz, was soundly beaten by 23-year-old Jannik Sinner.

The match was a brisk affair, settled in two hours and 51 minutes. The 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 score reflected the way Fritz, a relatively slow starter throughout the fortnight, was getting more acclimated and working through the unfamiliar landscape of his first Grand Slam final—as well as Sinner’s seamless game.

Unfortunately for Fritz, Grand Slam tennis is best-of-five sets, not seven or more.

But even more time might not have made a difference to the outcome. Fritz was eclipsed in virtually all departments by Sinner, most notably in break-point conversion, with Sinner making good on 6 of 12 while Fritz captured just two of seven. The most telling statistic: Fritz won just five of 43 points returning Sinner’s serve (12 percent) while the winner claimed 17 of 53 for 32 percent.

“Right now, I’m pretty disappointed in just a lot of things on the court, how I played, how I hit certain shots. It sucks,” Fritz said in a post-match, pathos-filled press conference during which he often found himself groping for the right words in a monotone, eyes downcast.

He paused and then continued, “I’m not saying that it necessarily would have made a difference. I feel like, I don’t know, I feel like the fans obviously, American fans, have been wanting a men’s champion for a long time. I’m pretty upset with how I played. I feel like, I don’t know, I feel like I almost let a lot of people down.”

The comedown was particularly severe because, after winning a stomach-churning, well-fought semifinal against Frances Tiafoe, his friend and rival, Fritz breathed an enormous sigh of relief. That occasion was an old-fashioned, star-studded New York happening, filled with an uncomfortable amount of pressure for the favorite, Fritz.

Once that match was resolved, Fritz felt that he could play the final with confidence and a free hand. He did not exactly underestimate Sinner, but they had split their only previous meetings and, Fritz said on Friday, “he hits the ball big, he’s like a very strong ball striker, but I feel like I always hit the ball really nicely off of his ball.”

Not on this Sunday. Fritz felt fine before the match—loose, relaxed and eager. Taking the long walk to his chair on Ashe at the start, the roar of the crowd cascading all around him, Fritz embraced the ambience.

“I soaked in the moment. It was what I dreamed about my whole life,” he said. “It almost got me emotional, but I was just really happy and ready to enjoy the moment.”

Fritz was counting on that post-semifinal backwash of relief to carry him through. He fought back the understanding that, while he was playing hard-nosed, smart tennis, he had not been feeling truly on top of his game.

“I was playing solid, [but] nothing special,” he said. “I haven’t been hitting my backhand as good as I like to, haven’t been serving as good as I like to. Luckily I could still get away with it and hold.”

These days, anything less than an elite player’s A-game doesn’t even come close to being good enough against Sinner. The Italian, who has now won the first and last majors of the year, is a highly improved version of the gawky rookie Fritz handed with ease at Indian Wells in the spring of 2022. According to Fritz, the biggest improvement in Sinner’s game has been his serve. In the final, Sinner produced the same average serve speed (120 m.p.h.) as Fritz, who is renowned for his thunder.

I’m pretty upset with how I played. I feel like, I don’t know, I feel like I almost let a lot of people down. Taylor Fritz

The tournament may have ended on a discordant note for fans of U.S. tennis, but the home nation produced the runner-up in both singles finals (Jessica Pegula lost to No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday), something no other major came even close to matching.

The final weekend disappointments also overshadowed the fact that both Americans punched well above their weight class: Pegula came in ranked No. 6 while Fritz was No. 12. So, strictly on form, Pegula was a potential quarterfinalist at best, Fritz projected to be a fourth-round loser or worse.

With a few days or weeks to decompress and re-assess, both Pegula and Fritz are likely to feel pride and renewed hope and motivation.

Fritz was already trying to turn his eyes toward the bright side by the end of his press conference. He said he feels he still has “a lot” of room for improvement. And he noted—accurately—that he had gradually ticked one box after another in order on his path upward, from earning an ATP ranking point, to winning a small tournament, to claiming a Masters title and, now, appearing in a Grand Slam final. He has used new triumphs as stepping stones.

“I’ve always said once I do something once,” he said, “I just feel a lot more confident in being able to do it again.”

That will be welcome news to U.S. tennis fans, whose thirst for a champion has been somewhat slacked at this event, even as their appetite has been whetted.