What Taylor Fritz did at the Laver Cup which completely changed John Isner’s opinion of him

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Taylor Fritz finished his 2024 season as world number four, a career-best year for the American.

Fritz enjoyed a strong year on the ATP Tour in 2024, taking home multiple titles, and reaching a career-high ranking of fourth in the world.

The American reached his first Grand Slam final this year, as Fritz lost to Jannik Sinner at the US Open.

Fritz continued his late-season form at the ATP Finals, where he was gifted an opportunity to exact revenge against his Italian rival.

He was unsuccessful however as Fritz lost to Sinner once more in the Turin final, a tough defeat, but another strong showing for the 27-year-old.

Two defeats to the world number one shouldn’t put a dampener on what has been a brilliant year for the American number one, as one fellow American looks back at the moment he realized that Fritz would achieve big things in the sport.

John Isner recalls Laver Cup moment that made him realize Taylor Fritz was ‘different’

Speaking following the conclusion of Fritz’s 2024 season, former Miami Open champion John Isner recalled a story from the 2019 Laver Cup.

“I want to go back to the Laver Cup, I think it was in Geneva, and it was on Sunday, and it was tight, [Dominic] Thiem, was supposed to play [Nick] Kyrgios, in the morning and we get there and Nick had some sort of injury to his wrists, so he was like I’m out,” he said.

“I just remember Taylor [Fritz] showing up to the courts, he was not scheduled to play, John [McEnroe] did not have him on the schedule on Sunday, didn’t even have his rackets.

“Taylor was like I’ll do it.

“He went to bed the night before thinking I’m not playing on Sunday, gets there and goes I’ll do it, someone goes and gets his rackets, brings it back, and he beats Dominic Thiem.”

Isner knew from that moment that Fritz was destined for big things on the ATP Tour.

“I can’t remember the score, but I just, right then and there, I’m like this dude is different, he wanted that moment,” he said.

“It was a big moment, and we almost won that tie, that match against Team Europe.

“Right then and there for me, that’s when I realized that Taylor was different, and that he had a really good shot to do incredible things in tennis, top ten, top five, type of things.

“Before that, I was on the fence with that a little bit.”

Is Taylor Fritz the greatest Laver Cup player of all time?

Fritz’s three-set win against Thiem in 2019 put Team World on the brink of victory, before Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev clinched a third consecutive title for the Europeans.

The American has however been a key member of Team World for their two Laver Cup victories, and the stats indicate he may be one of the most valuable players in the competitions history.

Fritz only has a lower win percentage at the competition than compatriot Ben Shelton, but has certainly established himself as one of the best to grace the Laver Cup field.

Jack Sock and Alexander Zverev are still leading the way with the number of match wins at the event, but things could all change in years to come.

The 2025 Laver Cup is set to take place in San Francisco, from September 19-21.