Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula are among the catalog of stars aiming to inspire the nation when they take to the court at their native US Open next week.
Fritz teamed up with Tommy Paul to clinch the bronze medal in the men’s singles at the Olympics but has since struggled to gain momentum, with early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati.
WTA number six Pegula, on the other hand, has hit the ground running upon arrival in North America.
After storming through the field in Toronto to defend her Masters title from 12 months ago, the American produced another awe-inspiring run to the final in Cincinnati, only to be beaten by a red-hot Aryna Sabalenka.
Now, the 30-year-old touches down in NYC in a bid to capitalise on the current form she is experiencing.
Taylor Fritz praises Jessica Pegula for her recent form
Taylor Fritz who, unlike his compatriot Jessica Pegula, has struggled so far on the hard courts, was asked about her form in his pre-tournament press conference at this year’s US Open.
And the world number 12 was full of praise, explaining how impressive it is to adjust so adeptly to the transition from clay to quick acrylic.
“I think it’s amazing how well she [Pegula] is doing coming from the Olympics,” Fritz said. “It helps a bit she had a couple of extra days in Toronto to get acclimated than we did.
“We were there on the last day and had to stay and then leave but it’s amazing how well she is doing. She is literally the only person who played the Olympics who is having good results.
“Anyone else that did the Olympics they were out on one of the first days and had some time to get ready.
“It’s been very tough in terms of preparation, coming from the Olympics and playing Montreal and Cincinnati, especially with how fast both tournaments felt. Coming from the clay was not ideal.”
Can Pegula go deep at the US Open?
Last year, Coco Gauff captured the hearts of Americans as she became the first native teenager to win at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 1999.
However, the teen sensation was coming into the tournament in red-hot form last time out, with title wins in Washington and Cincinnati.
This year, Gauff has struggled with form, and Americans appear to need a new poster girl to shine on the big stage, and Pegula might just be what the doctor ordered.
She gets her campaign underway against compatriot Shelby Rogers on Tuesday.
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