Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz both name the players they think will win the US Open this year
It does feel like, on the men’s side of the US Open, a huge opportunity is brewing.
After all, with Jannik Sinner having withdrawn, and Carlos Alcaraz only playing his first event back in four months, the usual top two prospects to win the title have been diminished.
This has opened up a path for an unlikely champion to anoint themselves, and in a few weeks’ time, we will see who has stepped up in this absence.
Predictions have been particularly difficult to make because of the shocking and unprecedented nature of this major, with Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe both sharing a similar thought process.
Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe back themselves to win the US Open this year
Whilst others looked elsewhere for potential champions, the aforementioned Americans both backed themselves.
Fritz simply named himself, whilst Tiafoe claimed: “Tiafoe. It’s time to start believing in it; I’ve flirted with it, so I’m backing myself.”
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Tommy Paul actually highlighted another American, suggesting: “Maybe Learner. Learner could win it!”
Lorenzo Musetti then provided perhaps the most measured answer, highlighting Alexander Zverev, a first-time major champion, as the favourite to win another: “I feel Sascha Zverev is playing his best tennis, so he’s getting closer.”
I’ve already backed Tiafoe to challenge for the US Open title, and it’s clear he shares this optimism.
Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe’s best-ever runs at the US Open
There is a reason why both Fritz and Tiafoe are backing themselves to succeed on home soil.
After all, historically, the US Open has been both of their best-performing Grand Slams by some distance, with the former actually a finalist at this event back in 2024.
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During that run, he scored straightforward victories over the likes of Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud, with his best coming against Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
Rather ironically, Fritz beat Tiafoe in the semi-finals, but lost handily to Jannik Sinner in the final.
Tiafoe, meanwhile, had beaten Ben Shelton and Grigor Dimitrov en route to that stage, marking the second semi-final he had reached in three years.
During his 2022 run, he impressed by beating Rafael Nadal and only losing to Carlos Alcaraz, the eventual champion, in a five-set semi-final epic.
