NEW YORK – In the build-up to Wimbledon, Taylor Fritz said men’s tennis feels more open now than it did in the days of the Big Three.
“It only takes one of them to play really well,” he said of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“We were young and not as good as we are now. You want them to have a day off and you want to have a day off,” Fritz said. “Any team that’s in the top 15 these days, it’s going to be about who plays better.
“It’s exciting for all of us because we know we only have two weeks or 10 days to play a really high level of tennis and take the best opportunities we can.”
This U.S. Open proved Fritz right and wrong. The early exits of Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz gave hope to the chasers, but the event ultimately maintained its status quo, with world number one Yannick Sinner defeated 6-3, 6-4, 7 Fritz, who won his second Grand Slam of the year -5.
The other two majors in 2024 will feature Alcaraz, 21, who along with Sinner, 23, has won five of the last six majors. They lead the majors with Big Three-like efficiency, and they’re still young.
Their dominance feels different than the rest of the locker room, though. After Frances Tiafoe was beaten by Fritz in Friday’s semi-finals, he said the match “meant a lot” and showed the other best players that Grand Slam victory is just around the corner. “This shows it’s definitely possible,” he said. “The game is open. Even with Alcaraz, Sinner and others, things are no longer what they used to be.
Alexander Zverev, who is ranked second ahead of Alcaraz but has not had the same significant success, expressed similar sentiments ahead of Wimbledon.
Part of that sentiment comes from the fact that even though Sinner and Alcaraz have won most of the majors, they haven’t reached the point where they’re a sure-fire winner in the semifinals or finals of every major event. Alcaraz proved that with a second-round exit. Djokovic is still extremely talented, but his performances have been more uneven, which has brought a lot to the table after his worst Grand Slam year since 2017 (and second-worst since 2009). A glimmer of hope.
Fritz said on Sunday he was motivated by the fact he reached the final without playing That Brilliantly.
“I think it’s been very positive for me because at any given moment these two weeks I didn’t feel like… I was playing tennis,” he said. “Maybe it’s a little more open. I don’t think you have to, I don’t know, play unbelievable to get far in the tournament and compete.
“When I play good tennis,” Taylor Fritz said, “I think that level is good enough to win.” (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Players like Fritz also don’t have the kind of scars that Alcaraz and Sinner did on the Big Three. Even if they find themselves losing, at least they feel like they still have a chance to win.
For the Big Three, players like Fritz largely come in with hope rather than expectations. By contrast, before facing Sinner, Fritz said: “I have a feeling I’m going to play really well and win. When I play good tennis, I think that level is enough to win.
Eventually, Sinner proved too powerful. Fritz later admitted: “I think (now) if you play consistent tennis you will find yourself a little deeper in the draws – quarter-finals and so on. I still think to beat the top players you need to get Give your best performance.
That’s the problem. For a player like Fritz to break through and win a Grand Slam, he’ll likely still have to face Sinner, Alcaraz or Djokovic. While this game showed that players outside the elite may have more chances to reach the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, none of these players achieved a milestone victory against the top three.
Djokovic’s conqueror Alexei Popyrin is a rung or two below his main challenger, while Alcaraz’s Botic van der Zandschulp de Zandschulp) is unlikely to reach the pinnacle of the majors anytime soon.
However, Fritz’s role in the game will change slightly after this tournament. After losing to Sinner, he talked about what it takes to beat the opponent in front of him, and his performance in Friday’s semi-final against his good friend and compatriot Tiafoe seemed to be a pressure and a bit strange. Boosted his confidence.
There has always been a competition between these two men and other closely matched American players to see who can reach a Grand Slam final first. Fritz has done that, and in his opinion, albeit not to the best of his ability. That bodes well for him heading into January’s Australian Open.
But on Sunday, Fritz was reminded that he’s still a long way from taking that final step. He talked about how his Plan B works for most players, but not those at the top. He knows he needs to add more to his game to take the next step.
Because while the path to the semifinals and finals may be getting easier, as long as Alcaraz and Sinner perform well, the chasers still have a long way to go.
(Top photo: Kena Betancur/AFP)
