Taylor Fritz is about to take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, carrying the weight of American men’s tennis on his shoulders.
On Sunday, with a win in the U.S. Open final, Fritz would become the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open.
But before he can look too far ahead, he has a date with top-seed Jannik Sinner.
When: Sunday, September 8 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York
TV: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
Fritz and Sinner have only faced off twice, splitting the two matches.
Since their last match in 2023, Sinner has developed into arguably the best hard-court player on tour.
The Italian has won 34 of 36 matches on the hard-court surface this season, including raising his first career major title at the Australian Open and two additional Masters ATP 1000 titles on hard-court surfaces (Miami Open, Cincinnati Open).
Meanwhile, Fritz is playing in just his first Grand Slam final, but the home crowd is behind him.
The top-seeded American has been impressive throughout the Open, earning wins against Alexander Zverev and, most recently, Frances Tiafoe, a match in which he had to come back from a two-set-to-one deficit.
Fritz has the strength and ability to compete with Sinner, but the physicality and consistency required for this match are beyond his usual capabilities.
Considering the way Sinner has played within the last year, it would take a near herculean effort from the 26-year-old to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Sinner in four sets
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