Taylor Fritz can end a Grand Slam drought for American men by beating Jannik Sinner at the US Open

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Fritz felt overwhelmed with emotion when he realized that he had made it to the U.S. Open final.

His reason: "I tear up when movies have happy endings, but not when they are sad. That's just the way I am."

Think about how the 26-year-old from California would feel if he won the trophy by defeating the number one player, Jannik Sinner from Italy, in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. This victory would make Fritz the first American man to win a Grand Slam title in 21 years.

"I think I will perform really well and come out victorious," stated Fritz, the 12th seed."I just defeated another American, Frances Tiafoe, in five sets to reach my first major final. When I play at my best, I believe I have what it takes to win."

How important is it that Fritz will compete at Flushing Meadows during the final weekend of the tournament?

The most recent time an American man competed in a major final was in 2009, with Andy Roddick losing to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. The last time an American man made it to the U.S. Open final was in 2006, but Roddick was defeated by Federer. The most recent time an American man won a Grand Slam was in 2003, when Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero.

"I really hope that an American will win on Sunday," Roddick mentioned on his podcast. "I feel nervous every time they are asked about it."

It is certainly a dry spell for a nation that has produced numerous champions over the years.

The son of two former professional athletes, including his mother, Kathy May, who was a top 10 ranked player and made it to the quarterfinals at both the U.S. Open and the French Open, Fritz began playing tennis at the young age of 2. Tiafoe, a close friend of Fritz's since they were 12 or 13, noted the impressive differences in him since then.

“When I first encountered him, Taylor was a peculiar guy, a unique individual. Honestly, I never would have guessed he would achieve what he has,” Tiafoe explained. “He has transformed his physique remarkably. He is incredibly gifted. He used to play tennis casually, just a few times a week, with a court at his house. He will admit, he attended a regular high school. He was just a regular kid, while the rest of us were working hard on our games. Then he began dedicating more time to tennis.”

With a powerful serve and forehand in his arsenal, Fritz is focused on enhancing his overall gameplay. He believes he has a good chance against Sinner, with whom he has won and lost in two previous encounters.

"I always seem to strike the ball really well when I play against him," Fritz mentioned. "I usually perform well in matches against him."

Fritz has been the leading male tennis player representing the United States for some time now, reaching as high as the 5th spot in the rankings last year. However, he had never advanced further than the quarterfinals in a major tournament until this point.

"Occasionally when you participate in competitions, reaching the quarterfinals may seem like a good outcome," stated Fritz's coach, Michael Russell. "However, the ultimate goal is to win the tournament. It's easier said than done."

In this case, Sinner is expected to win by a large margin - he is favored at -350 money-line odds, as per BetMGM Sportsbook. This is because of his high ranking, his Australian Open win in January, and his impressive record of 34-2 on hard courts in 2024 (Fritz has a record of 19-7). Despite his doping case being revealed just before the U.S. Open, Sinner's performance on the court does not seem to have been affected much. He was cleared of any wrongdoing when it was found that his positive tests for an anabolic steroid were due to accidental exposure to the substance.

"He's very reliable. The way he plays with all his energy and speed is impressive. He hardly has any flaws," No. 25 Jack Draper commented on Sinner after being defeated by him in the semifinals. "And he's able to stay focused, point after point, and elevate his game when necessary."

When a reporter asked Draper to point out a flaw in Sinner, he playfully replied, "Hmm, let me think. He's such a great guy, maybe he's just too nice."

Howard Fendrich has been writing about tennis for the Associated Press (AP) since 2002. You can read his articles on the AP website at https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich.

Howard Fendrich from The Associated Press wrote the blog.