Taylor Fritz explains why he ‘felt better’ after watching Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe struggle at the US Open
Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe all won their first-round matches at the US Open.
Fritz defeated Darwin Blanch, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, Shelton beat Tallon Griekspoor, 1-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2, and Tiafoe took down Martin Damm Jr, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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Starting his first-round match after Shelton and Tiafoe, Fritz knew his countrymen were struggling when he stepped onto the court.
Fritz has now explained how that helped him secure his place in the second round of the US Open.
Taylor Fritz was reassured by Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe’s first-round struggles
The 2024 US Open finalist said the following during his post-match press conference.
“I did not see any of Frances [Tiafoe’s] match; I just saw the score,” said Fritz.
“I didn’t see the end of Ben [Shelton’s] match either, but I saw the first set.
“If anything it makes me feel better.
“It’s normal to have some nerves coming out. As the top American, you have a lot of expectations. It’s normal to be nervy.
“When I saw Ben’s first set, it just makes me feel like okay, if it happens it happens.
“He regrouped and won the match pretty routinely afterwards.
“That kind of gave me the reassurance afterwards that if I come out and I am nervy and play a bad first set, there is no need to panic.”
Unlike his fellow Americans, Fritz didn’t play a bad first set and eased into the second round with a comfortable victory over Blanch.
Fritz was one of eight American men who won their opening matches at Flushing Meadows.
American men in the second round of the US Open
| Seed | Player | First-round win | Second-round opponent |
| 8 | Ben Shelton | 1-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 vs Tallon Griekspoor | Hubert Hurkacz |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 vs Darwin Blanch | Mattia Bellucci |
| 11 | Frances Tiafoe | 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 vs Martin Damm Jr | Rei Sakamoto |
| 14 | Learner Tien | 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 vs Nuno Borges | Gael Monfils |
| 16 | Brandon Nakashima | 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 vs Sebastian Baez | Alex Michelsen |
| 20 | Tommy Paul | 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 vs Coleman Wong | Dino Prizmic |
| – | Alex Michelsen | 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 vs Federico Cina | Brandon Nakashima |
| – | Sebastian Gorzny | 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, vs Raphael Collignon | Daniil Medvedev |
American men with first-round matches to play
- Michael Zheng vs Fabian Marozsan
- Zachary Svajda vs Daniel Altmaier
- Marcos Giron vs Ignacio Buse
Fritz will return to play Italy’s Mattia Bellucci on Thursday, August 3, looking to move one step closer to a maiden Grand Slam title.
Taylor Fritz admits he is conscious of the American men’s Grand Slam drought
Andy Roddick remains the last American man to have won a Grand Slam singles title.
He lifted the US Open trophy in 2003, defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final.
23 years of despair and disappointment followed.
Fritz became the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Roddick at the US Open two years ago, but fell short, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
During his latest press conference, the 28-year-old admitted he was aware of the drought and insisted that winning a Grand Slam was important to him.
“It is super important to me,” said Fritz.
“I would be pretty disappointed at the end of it if I wasn’t able to achieve that, because I think in my life, any time I have set a big goal for myself, I have always done it.
“It would be really tough for me to not [win a Grand Slam].”
With Sinner, the world number one and 2024 US Open champion, missing in New York this year due to injury, several American players will fancy their chances of ending the Grand Slam drought.
Sitting in the opposite half of the draw from Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion and title favourite, Fritz looks like the nation’s best hope.
Only time will tell if he can go all the way and write his name into the history books.
