Taylor Fritz fell to the bottom and put his palms on his head as he lay outstretched. He had simply defeated Rafael Nadal within the last on the 2022 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.
Moments later, he cried as the gang roared with admiration.
“Profitable this match is a kind of loopy childhood goals that you simply actually suppose is rarely going to occur,” he stated as tears streamed down his face.
It was the largest victory in Fritz’s profession, propelling him to a then-career-high rating of No. 13 and cementing his spot because the top-ranked American man. He advised reporters later that afternoon that sharing the court docket with Nadal, not to mention beating him, was “insane” and that his new objective was to succeed in the highest 10.
That was three years in the past. And since then, Fritz has executed that and extra. Rather more, the truth is.
Previous to the Indian Wells victory, he had by no means superior past the fourth spherical at a serious, however he has now appeared in 5 Grand Slam quarterfinals — and reached the ultimate on the US Open in September. To not point out, he has gained six extra tour titles, performed within the last on the 2024 ATP Finals, earned Olympic bronze on the 2024 Paris Video games in males’s doubles (alongside longtime good friend Tommy Paul) and is at present ranked a career-high No. 4.
Now Fritz, 27, is again on the BNP Paribas Open propelled by momentum and ambition — and starting with a title quest on the web site of his breakthrough.
“As soon as I attain a brand new milestone, it turns into a lot simpler for me to start out doing it repeatedly and once more, after which it is on to the following factor,” Fritz advised ESPN just lately. “That is at all times been the case for me. … The yr I had final yr, particularly on the finish of the yr, offers me a whole lot of confidence.
“Clearly the final word objective is to win a Grand Slam, however I am additionally actually centered on desirous to win some [other] massive titles this yr.”
Whereas these objectives would possibly sound daunting, excessive expectations are nothing new for Fritz. He realized the sport from his mother Kathy, a former top-10 participant on the WTA Tour and three-time main quarterfinalist, and pop Gus, additionally knowledgeable participant and an completed coach. After profitable the 2015 US Open boys title and reaching the highest rating amongst juniors, Fritz has lengthy been thought-about one of many nation’s greatest hopes to snap the now 21-year males’s main title drought. And his early outcomes on tour solely fueled such optimism.
Fritz reached the ultimate within the third ATP match of his profession, at Memphis in 2016, and have become the youngest American man to succeed in a tour last since Michael Chang in 1988. He cracked the highest 100 quickly after. He gained his first ATP title in 2019, on grass at Eastbourne, and made his top-25 debut the next month.
He notched his first Masters 1000-level semifinal look at Indian Wells in 2021, nevertheless it was his shocking triumph the next yr that basically modified every part. He had almost withdrawn from the ultimate with an ankle harm simply hours earlier than the match started, but grew to become a champion on the match he had grown up attending as a fan — and in opposition to one of many sport’s greats.
He wished extra.
“I do not need to get forward of myself,” Fritz stated on the time. “I need to take issues one step at a time. My objective for the final couple months has been high 10. … Clearly I would like to go manner larger than that and obtain far more than that. Like I stated, take it one step at a time, not get forward of myself, it is only one match. Return to work, by no means be glad with the great outcomes. Simply preserve wanting extra.”
He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinals lower than 4 months later at Wimbledon.
Fritz gained two titles in 2023 and made his US Open quarterfinal debut. Then every part actually got here collectively final season. He gained Olympic bronze in males’s doubles, and have become the primary American man to make the second week at each main since Andre Agassi in 2003, reaching the quarterfinals at each the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the fourth spherical on the French Open and, after all, the ultimate on the US Open.
He adopted it by ending the yr with one other last look on the ATP Finals.
“Reaching each of these finals simply gave me confidence and, I assume, the reassurance and perception that I belong there and need to be there,” Fritz stated.
Everything of his season, however significantly the tip, firmly cemented Fritz’s standing as the highest American man. It additionally lit a hearth for the remainder of his compatriots, lots of whom are shut with each other.
“To see Fritz attain that [US Open] last was superior,” Paul, who has been a good friend since childhood and is ranked No. 11, advised ESPN. “We help one another endlessly. We’re so joyful for one another. When one in all us [top Americans] does nicely in a match, [or] one in all us wins a match, all of us then know behind our head that we will do it too.
“I really feel like Fritz had been that man for all American tennis over the previous eight years or so. He has completely led the way in which. Each era wants that man, and I believe it is superior it is him.”
One factor that hasn’t modified for Fritz? His stage of fame and his want — or lack thereof — for the highlight. Fritz, who spends a lot of his downtime enjoying video video games, stated he solely will get acknowledged by “true” tennis followers, though, he added, “I do not actually depart my place too usually.”
Fritz introduced his momentum and confidence into the season and instantly discovered much more success. Teaming up alongside Coco Gauff, amongst others, the duo led the American workforce to the title on the United Cup. Fritz gained 4 of his 5 singles matches, together with within the last in opposition to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.
Although Fritz hoped he would have the ability to construct off 2024 in Melbourne for the yr’s first Slam, that did not precisely go to plan. He misplaced within the third spherical to Gael Monfils 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 6-4 and was handed his earliest main exit since 2023. Since then, he gained simply two mixed matches in Dallas and Delray Seashore and needed to withdraw forward of Acapulco with an stomach harm.
However Fritz stated he was removed from “panic mode,” and dedicated to staying the course.
“I felt actually assured [entering the new season]. I felt like I used to be enjoying good tennis, and I nonetheless suppose that,” Fritz stated. “The Australian Open loss does not actually damage me as dangerous as I believe some losses would as a result of I nonetheless felt like I performed fairly nicely within the match. I did not essentially lose as a result of I did not play nicely. I misplaced as a result of my opponent performed very well, and that occurs typically.
“It is easy for me to maintain my confidence up and I do know that the outcomes and every part will come if I simply preserve enjoying.”
And Fritz hopes all of it comes collectively — his high-level of play and the outcomes — at Indian Wells as soon as once more.