WHAT HAPPENED: Taylor Fritz, Grand Slam semifinalist. That has a nice ring to it.
After today, that statement now rings true.
With every ace and every punishing, baseline-hugging groundstroke, Fritz exorcised one Grand Slam quarterfinal demon after another, and with a forehand sprayed wide by his opponent, Fritz claimed a 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over No. 4 seed and 2020 US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev to clinch the American’s first-ever semifinal appearance at a major in his 33rd career Grand Slam appearance. Before today, Fritz had lost each of his four quarterfinal matches at a major, all coming since the start of 2022.
“I feel amazing. I’ve had a lot of looks at quarterfinals over the past couple of years. Today felt different,” Fritz said in the on-court interview after the match. “I really felt like it was my time to take it a step further, and it’s only fitting that I’m doing it here on this court at the Open in front of this crowd.”
It is the second time this Grand Slam season that Fritz has gotten the better of the 2024 Roland Garros finalist, as the American came back from two sets down to defeat Zverev in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon.
The all-too-often flash point that blighted many of Fritz’s Grand Slam quarterfinal matches heretofore appeared to manifest itself in the ninth game of the third set, when two double faults preceded a 37-shot rally that Zverev won with a forehand volley winner to set up a break point at 4-4. But today was a different Fritz, and he won the final three points of the game — including serving an ace at 40-40 — to escape danger.
The ensuing changeover also allowed the pressure of the moment to switch chairs, and it was Zverev who crumbled under it. Two forehands dumped into the net and a mishit on a service return quickly brought up three set points for the American. Like the first set, in which Fritz saw three set points at 5-6, 0-40, slip away on Zverev’s serve, the German won the next three points to initially stave off the threat. But unlike the first set, Zverev could not escape entirely, missing on a backhand—normally his bread-and-butter shot—to give Fritz the crucial third set on his fourth break chance of that game.
“My backhand, I don't remember since being on tour hitting my backhand this badly. I just don't,” a visibly frustrated Zverev said in the post-match press conference. “I mean, I was missing shots which were in the middle of the court with no pace, and [I hit the] bottom of the net. Terrible. Just absolutely terrible by me.
“My forehand was okay, actually. My serve was okay. But my most reliable shot, the shot that I'm most known for, the shot that you normally wake me up at 3:00 a.m. and I would not miss, was absolutely not there today, and I have no words for it, to be honest.”
More drama was around the corner in the fourth set, with both holding serve in each of their six service games—and Fritz once again squandering a couple of break-point chances. Another tiebreak ensued, and once more, Fritz poured it on, winning the first two points of the tiebreak and did not look back.
It’s not Atlas being condemned to holding up the heavens for eternity, but the burden of being tabbed as the player with the best chance to finally break the two-decade Grand Slam singles drought among American men could have proven Sisyphean for the 2015 US Open boys’ singles champion. From winning Indian Wells in 2022 to becoming the first American man since 2009 to crack the Top 5 since 2009 (Andy Roddick) early in 2023 to, this year, being the first American male since Andre Agassi since 2001 to reach the fourth round at each of the Grand Slam events in a single year, Fritz has been nothing short of exemplary in how to carry the weight of a country’s expectations.
But over the past few years, contemporaries like Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton have all passed Fritz on the fast lane toward making their maiden semifinal appearances at majors. But finally, Fritz found the right direction with his game to steer his way into a Grand Slam final four.
“It was always genuinely, like, [I was] just really happy for my friends to see them have that success and, if anything, it always gave me the confidence that I can do it, too,” Fritz said.
WHAT IT MEANS: Fritz upheld his end of a bargain that’s almost two decades in the making. There has not been an all-American semifinal at a major since Andre Agassi and Robby Ginepri battled through a five-setter inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2005. Compatriot Frances Tiafoe has the opportunity to join the last four at this year’s US Open—and take on Fritz—if he were to defeat No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov later on Tuesday evening, ensuring that the Stars & Stripes will be represented in the men’s final for the first time since 2006 (Roddick).
“I mean, if it's Foe, that's going to be a lot of fun, and that's going to be just electric,” said Fritz about the prospect of playing Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. “Yeah, I think that would be awesome for the fans, as well, to be guaranteed that one of us is going to be going to the finals.”
The head-to-head between Fritz and Zverev is now at five wins apiece, and the two had alternated wins and losses in their past eight meetings before Fritz won his second in a row.
MATCH POINT: Though Fritz is 4-13 all-time against Top 10 players in Grand Slam matches, all four of those wins have come in 2024; It started in Australia with a fourth-round win over then-No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas, continued with his Wimbledon victory over Zverev before his wins in New York over No. 8 Casper Ruud and, now, another against Zverev in New York.
