There is a strong US tennis contingent travelling out to Paris in the coming months, all of whom will have aspirations of bringing home a medal for their country.
Few around the world are as patriotic as Americans, and thus the importance placed on succeeding for the nation at the Olympics is immense.
Some have thrived under this pressure over the years, but far more have wilted.
Taylor Fritz is one who, thus far, has suffered from falling into the latter camp.
The 26-year-old still has time on his side, but sooner rather than later needs to start proving his talents to the rest of the world.
Mike Bryan reveals Taylor Fritz’s training plan
Speaking to Tennis 365, Mike Bryan has been chatting all about the state of American tennis at the moment, first predicting how Coco Gauff will perform at the Olympics and the US Open, before turning his attention to Fritz.
As the top-ranked US male, much of the hopes for these upcoming tournaments rest on his shoulders.
Having enjoyed a solid run at Wimbledon, but disappointingly blowing his shot at reaching the semi-final, he will be seeking redemption in these next two events, and will have been training relentlessly to iron out the errors from that failure.
That is what Bryan has claimed, as he noted: ‘He’s got a great coaching staff, and he’s really confident.
‘He’s worked a lot on his movement, so he’s covering quite a lot of defence but he brings a lot of firepower.
‘He thinks he’s the best, his head is very strong, he actually believes he can win Grand Slams.’
Taylor Fritz will be targeting US Open success
Whilst the manner of his Wimbledon exit was disappointing, that major surely pails in comparison to the US Open, for an American.
After all, we saw how much his Indian Wells title meant to him back in 2022, beating Rafael Nadal in the desert to earn his first and currently his only Masters 1000 title.
But, his aspirations will be at a level beyond that event, dreaming of conquering Grand Slam tournaments when the chance arises.
Having reached the quarter-finals in New York last year, the foundation has now been built in all four majors for further success.
He just needs to overcome his mental barrier in the big moments to push through and claim this elusive and illustrious silverware.
Bryan attests that his mental fortitude is strong and that he believes he is the best, but Fritz needs to start showing it. These next few months could be huge for his career.
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