The US will have to wait another year before they can mount another campaign to win the US Open following this year’s defeat by Jannik Sinner over home favourite Taylor Fritz.
I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time. But I’m going to keep working, and hopefully I’ll get it the next time Taylor Fritz
The odds were against the home player contesting his first Grand Slam final against the world No.1 but he did have the firepower to do so but was never allowed to deploy it when it mattered.
However, Fritz can be proud of making the final which none of his earlier compatriots were able to do in the last 21 years, let alone win the final Grand Slam of the season since 2003 when Andy Roddick became the last American to have his name engraved on the trophy.
Currently Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Italy’s Sinner look set to become the dominant players of the coming decade, both players having scooped up this season’s four majors, sharing the titles – the Spaniard winning the French Open and Wimbledon whilst the Italian pocketed Australia and the US Opens.
Fritz could well be the spoiler of that dominance and there is no doubt he has, as the American No.1, the talent to lift the Stars and Stripes at every level of the game. In fact, the US have a string of players currently capable of challenging any European dominance, namely Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, and Ben Shelton who are all in the top twenty.
But for the moment it is Fritz who is leading the challenge and following his loss, was not just disappointed in himself, but more importantly, at not delivery the victory his compatriots were hoping for.
There was plenty of vocal support for him during the final especially when he was on the verge of claiming the third set and his failure to close it out took the wind out of him and the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Taylor Fritz with, Andre Agassi, 1999 US Open champion who made the presentations, and Jannik Sinner
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
“Being an American, at the US Open, it’s just incredible feeling the love all week,” Fritz said to the appreciative crowd. “Thank you so much. I know we’ve been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time. But I’m going to keep working, and hopefully I’ll get it the next time.”
Reaching the final is a success story in itself but not in Fritz’s mind as his responce to that question at a post-match press conference reveals.
“Not yet. There’s obviously a lot of positives, and when I get some time to cool down, then I’ll be happy about the fact that I made it to the finals and stuff like that.
“But right now I’m pretty just disappointed in how, like, just a lot of things on the court, how I played, how I hit certain shots. It sucks.
“And I’m not saying that it necessarily would have made a difference. I don’t know if it would have, but I just would have liked to have played better and given myself a better chance.
“It’s really disappointing right now. I feel like the American fans have been wanting a men’s champion for a long time, and I just, I don’t know, 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.”
Winning a home Grand Slam must be one of the most stressful occasions that a player has to contend with, which is why, no doubt, why the current gaps between home successes in the majors have widened in recent years. One could blame Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic for that – whilst they dominated the sport they never had to win a ‘home’ major!
Of the Big Four, Andy Murray’s success at Wimbledon therefore stands out and not just because of the 77-year gap he had to overcome but because he broke the stranglehold the other three had on the majors.. And now Britain has the smallest gap of just 8 years without a home champion!
In contrast Roland Garros hasn’t had a Frenchman win there since Yannik Noah in 1983 while Australia has to go even further back in time, to Mark Edmondson in 1976 for their last home-grown champion.
The sport is certainly entering a new era as for the first time in two decades, this year none of the Big Four have featured in a Grand Slam final!
