WIMBLEDON, England — In 2022, a visibly disappointed Taylor Fritz left the court at the All England Club after a heartbreaking loss. It was his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal, and he had come agonizingly close to defeating the legendary Rafael Nadal on Centre Court, even having chances to win in the fourth set. Ultimately, Fritz lost in a fifth-set tiebreaker. Nadal, dealing with an abdominal injury, later withdrew from the tournament, leaving Fritz to ponder the missed opportunity.
Two years later, Fritz returned to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, hoping to break through. As the favorite against Lorenzo Musetti, he seemed poised for his first major semifinal, winning the first set easily. However, he dropped the next two, fought back to win the fourth, but ultimately lost in another five-set thriller.
This Tuesday, however, Fritz finally broke the pattern. The American, seeded No. 5, who has since added two grass titles and a US Open final appearance to his resume, channeled his previous setbacks into motivation. He secured a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) victory against No. 17 seed Karen Khachanov, reaching his maiden Wimbledon semifinal. The usually reserved 27-year-old celebrated with a roar and beamed during his on-court interview. Reflecting on his past quarterfinal losses, he admitted, “Having played the quarterfinals here twice and lost in five, twice, I don`t think I could have taken another one.” He added, “So I`m happy. I`m really happy I`m going to get to play the semis here.”
Fritz now faces his biggest challenge yet: two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, with a spot in his first Wimbledon final on the line. He could become the first American man in the final since Andy Roddick in 2009. Fritz attributes his progress and increased belief to his past experiences, including his previous Wimbledon runs, the US Open final, and other tough matches.
He commented in his post-match press conference, “I`ve gotten to the point where [reaching the quarterfinals] just doesn`t feel like it`s such a big deal. When you have that feeling, it allows you to just play your best tennis in the situation and the moment. I also really do think I`m a much better tennis player than I was a year ago or even two years ago. I think right now I`m playing at a much higher level in tennis than I was.”
Wimbledon holds a special significance for Fritz. He felt the grass surface would suit his game even before playing on it professionally, a prediction that proved correct. His early success came as a junior, reaching the semifinals in 2014 and 2015. Professional results on the main draw were initially slower, with no progress past the second round in his first four attempts. However, he won his first ATP title on grass at Eastbourne in 2019, confirming his potential. A determined effort to play in 2021, just three weeks after meniscus surgery, ended in a disappointing third-round loss to Alexander Zverev, causing his ranking to drop outside the top 40.
Following this loss, his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, suggested he write down his frustrations. On the bus, he wrote a raw, angry note to himself: “Nobody in the whole world is underachieving harder than you… You are so f***ing good but 40 in the world get your f***ing s*** together.” Asked about the now-public note on Tuesday, Fritz stated it was “never supposed to be public” but expressed happiness with his career turnaround since then. He commented, “I`ve put in a lot of work and it`s great to see the results.”
The season after writing that candid note marked a significant turning point. He reached the fourth round at the 2022 Australian Open and won the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells, defeating Nadal. He secured another Eastbourne title and made his first Wimbledon quarterfinal run (the Nadal one). His ranking soared, entering the top 10 in October. Since then, Fritz has remained a top-10 player, winning six additional titles. In September, he reached the US Open final, becoming the first American man to do so since 2009. Although he lost to Jannik Sinner, his successful run solidified his place among the sport`s elite. He finished the season by reaching the ATP Finals championship match (also losing to Sinner) and achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 4.
Fritz has long been seen as the leading American hope to end the country`s Grand Slam title drought for men, which now spans nearly 22 years. He has embraced this role and the associated pressure. His friend and fellow player, Tommy Paul (currently World No. 13), commented earlier this spring, “I feel like Fritz had been that guy for all American tennis over the past eight years or so… He has absolutely led the way. Every generation needs that guy, and I think it`s awesome it`s him.”
Despite this leadership role, Fritz faced a difficult start to the season, exiting early from the Australian and French Opens. However, he rediscovered his form on grass, a surface he calls his best. He won his fifth consecutive match against Zverev to win the Stuttgart title last month, then secured a record fourth Eastbourne trophy just before Wimbledon. His strong grass momentum has carried into Wimbledon.
He battled through tough five-set matches with multiple tiebreaks in the first two rounds against big servers Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Gabriel Diallo – playing the third most games in the first two rounds in tournament history. He appeared more in control in later rounds, needing four sets against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and benefiting from Jordan Thompson`s retirement after taking a large lead.
The quarterfinal against Khachanov saw Fritz dominate early, but a torn tape on his right foot hampered his movement in the third set, leading to a 5-0 deficit and visible frustration. After a medical timeout to re-tape his foot, Fritz regained composure. Though Khachanov played well in the fourth set, Fritz`s powerful serve, including four aces in the tiebreak, helped him avoid a fifth set. “I`m really happy with how I kind of came back in the fourth set and then got it done,” Fritz stated, adding, “I think momentum was definitely not going to be on my side going into a fifth.”
Fritz is the first American man since John Isner in 2018 and only the third since Roddick in 2009 to reach the Wimbledon semifinals. His next opponent is the formidable Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz enters the match in strong form, having recently won the French Open and the Queen`s Club grass title, and dominated his quarterfinal against Cameron Norrie. While Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 2-0, they have never played on grass, and Alcaraz has faced some challenges earlier in the tournament.
Despite Alcaraz being the clear favorite, Fritz is confident in his ability to win. “I think grass is very much so an equalizer,” Fritz stated. “It can be an equalizer. So trust in how I`m playing. I truly know the way that I played the first two sets today, there`s not much any opponent on the other side can do.”
Before his quarterfinal, Fritz was considered a dark horse with the fourth-best odds for the title. Facing Alcaraz and with top players like Sinner and Djokovic potentially in the final, his odds might not dramatically improve. Nevertheless, he stands just two victories away from his most significant title.
Fritz understands the stakes and the historical potential. However, he draws strength from past high-pressure situations, stating his US Open semifinal against Frances Tiafoe felt even more intense. That experience, culminating in a Grand Slam final appearance, has instilled deep self-belief. Now, he knows he possesses the capability to succeed on this stage.
“It`s given me a lot of confidence in those moments and situations,” he said, “just having been there, that I can do it again.”
