Taylor Fritz has not had the ideal preparation heading into the US Open.
The American star was beaten in his Canadian Open opener by Thiago Agustin Tirante and lost to 27th-seeded Brandon Nakashima in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals.
Fritz also competed in the US Open Mixed Doubles event earlier this week alongside Jessica Pegula. The American duo lost in the first round to Casper Ruud and Diana Shnaider.
It has been 23 years since an American man won a Grand Slam singles title. Andy Roddick was the last to do so, beating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 US Open final.
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Could Taylor Fritz be the man to end this barren run?
Taylor Fritz is the American man with the best chance of winning the US Open
Despite having less than ideal preparation for the US Open, one still considers Taylor Fritz to be the American best-placed to win the major title on September 13.
Fritz has proven time and again that he can produce his best tennis in New York, as demonstrated by his recent performances at the event.
The American superstar has made three consecutive quarter-final appearances; reaching the final in 2024.
Fritz is currently ranked one place lower than Ben Shelton in the ATP rankings. On paper, Shelton should be labelled as America’s great hope in the men’s singles event.
However, Fritz has a lot more experience in these major events and has proven before that he can challenge the very best at Grand Slam events.
Just take Fritz’s performance against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. The American had set points to take the match to a fifth set against the world number one, but was unable to convert.
Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz’s US Open record since 2022 [Shelton’s first appearance]
- 2022: Shelton is knocked out in the first round. Fritz exits in the second round.
- 2023: Shelton reaches the semi-finals. Fritz is knocked out in the last eight.
- 2024: Shelton is beaten in the third round. Fritz advances to the final before losing to Jannik Sinner.
- 2025: Shelton exits in the third round after suffering an injury. Fritz loses to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.
Moreover, Shelton’s preparation for the US Open was hampered by a surprise loss to Jaime Faria in Cincinnati.
The 23-year-old also hasn’t advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam since the 2026 Australian Open.
Of course, Shelton has every chance of emerging victorious on September 13. He is an extremely talented player who possesses the grit and determination required to win a Grand Slam title.
But so does Taylor Fritz, who has been a consistent force at the New York major for several years.
Taylor Fritz’s worrying issue
Throughout this year, Fritz has struggled with a troublesome knee injury.
The knee tendinitis that first reared its ugly head during the 2025 off-season saw him skip most of the clay-court swing and affected his ability to perform during his Wimbledon quarter-final loss to Alexander Zverev.
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One hopes that the American remains unaffected by the issue as he embarks on his 11th US Open campaign.
The US Open Men’s Singles event will begin on August 30 and run until September 13.
