Team World’s Taylor Fritz is preparing to play his first event since the US Open final that he lost to Jannik Sinner.
After helping defeat Team Europe last year in a destructive 13-2 victory, Taylor Fritz is one of three American players this year buckling up for the Laver Cup.
While possibly still licking his US Open wounds, Fritz actually forged a slightly surprising run in New York.
Managing to overcome his quarter-final woes at the fifth time of asking, Fritz had endured a shoddy time on the hard-courts leading up to New York, with just a single win in three matches before the Open.
However, overcoming Alexander Zverev, along with countryman and Team World colleague Frances Tiafoe in the semifinal, the 26-year-old is back within the ATP top 10.
Taylor Fritz relishes opportunity to play with Laver Cup teammates
An exhibition event introduced in 2017, the Laver Cup pits six European players against six from the rest of the world.
With Team World the reigning champions, Fritz is playing his fourth Laver Cup, and third as the highest ranked player for his team.
“Laver Cup is one of the most fun weeks of the year,” said Fritz on the official Laver Cup site. “Being in this team environment, playing for Team World, being on the team with all my friends, just having that team energy competing and trying to win something together — that’s something we normally don’t do in tennis.
“Getting the chance to celebrate with the team is always my favorite,” the world number seven added. “It’s something that you don’t get to do in tennis because it’s individual, you’re only celebrating with your team, you’re not celebrating with the other players so that’s something that’s always so fun for me.
“I have more fun when I’m around all the guys and we’re hanging out and we’re all rooting for each other. We all want the same thing, you know?”
Taylor Fritz needs to keep up the momentum if he wants to remain near the top
Fritz’s campaign, as well as the US Open more generally, represented a shift in men’s tennis.
A new US Open champion was crowned as well as Fritz a debutant in the final. With Carlos Alcaraz and more importantly Novak Djokovic dumped out early, a much more ‘open’ tournament was acknowledged despite the top seed eventually winning it.
After Fritz’s final showing ending earlier than planned, the talk was naturally all about whether he might be able to do it again, if not slightly better.
A good hard court player, Fritz has the perfect opportunity in Melbourne come the new year, especially after his run to the last eight this year.
Clearly capable, Fritz will only view the US Open as a springboard – a sign that he can get over repeat wobbles. Indeed, Lindsay Davenport predicted Fritz is set to hang around and only be invigorated by this recent success.
With the Australian Open always swinging round faster than you think, the American needs to continue to test himself among the world’s best if there’s to the formation of another major run.
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