Can Fritz end American wait for major champ or will Sinner stop him in US Open final?

Taylor Fritz is closing in on history at the US Open. The 26-year-old will become the first American man to win a major title since Andy Roddick in 2003 if he triumphs in the final on Sunday in New York, ending a 21-year wait.

The 12th seed battled hard to overcome countryman Frances Tiafoe in five sets in the semi-finals and also defeated seeds Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud to reach his maiden Grand Slam final. However, his biggest test is to come, with the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Jannik Sinner, standing in his way between glory.

Sinner has been the man to beat in 2024 and is set to compete in his second major final on Sunday. The Italian clinched his first Slam crown at the Australian Open in January and holds a perfect 5-0 record in tour-level finals in 2024.

The 23-year-old moved past 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarters in New York and then beat British lefty Jack Draper in the semi-finals to earn his 11th consecutive win, having captured his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last month. In his match against Draper, Sinner suffered a scare when he fell on his left wrist in the second set. However, the top seed hopes the issue won’t harm his chances in the final.

“The physio loosened it up very fast on court, so after I felt okay in the beginning. Then after it went away by playing, which is good,” Sinner said in his post-match press conference on Friday. “Let's see how it is [Saturday] when it's cold. It's going to be a different feeling. Hopefully is nothing to concern about. I'm quite relaxed, because if it's something bad, you feel it straightaway a bit more.”

Fritz had lost at the quarter-final stage at a major four times before his run this fortnight but is now playing with the belief that he can go all the way. The 26-year-old, who is the first American man to reach a major final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009, is determined to end the 21-year wait for an American Grand Slam champion and believes he can trouble Sinner.

“I've always enjoyed playing him,” said Fritz. “To be honest, I don't think that I'm going to be put in a more stressful situation than I was today than playing in a final. I think today was much more stressful for me than playing the final. I just feel good,” Fritz said. “I have a feeling I'm going to come out and play really well and win. When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.”

American men US Open champions (since 1990)

The American and Italian are locked at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with both of their previous meetings coming on hard courts in Indian Wells. Fritz will be hoping to use the home crowd to his advantage when the pair walk onto the 23,000-seater Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT and the American reflected on the positive state of American tennis ahead of the title match.

“I think it gives hope and shows that we're knocking on the door of winning a Slam, and we have this generation, this group of guys where there's four or five of us that are actually at this level,” Fritz said, referencing Top 20 stars Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton.

“I mean, it shows that we're all moving in the right direction. I think that whenever one of us does something, the others follow, and the others get belief from it. I think this is just the start for all of us.”

Sinner vs. Fritz Lexus ATP Head2Head series

On Sunday, the full focus of the United States will be on Fritz, who will have to serve well and be aggressive from the baseline to hit through Sinner, who defends well out of the corners and can cause anyone problems with his weight and depth of shot.

Sinner has become accustomed to the big occasion in 2024, with no player earning more titles this year. Currently 54-5 on the season, the 23-year-old is relishing the opportunity to take on an American in New York.

“Being in America for sure, the crowd will be a little bit more on [his] side. But it's normal. It's like when I play in Italy, so I'm going to accept that,” Sinner said. “I have my team and my people who are close to me. In my mind, I know that there are many people watching from home from Italy, and it's just take some support from them.”

By reaching the final, Sinner has taken command in the battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The Italian is currently 2,185 points clear of second-placed Alexander Zverev in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Sinner will take a 2,885-point lead if he wins the title.

The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion is the first Italian man to reach the title match in New York and is aiming to become the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first and second Grand Slam titles in the same season.

With experience on Sinner’s side, Fritz will hope momentum can help him in his quest to defeat the top seed. The American, who captured the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells in 2022, was overjoyed after reaching the final on Friday night.

“It hit me when he [Eubanks] said the thing about how I'm in the finals and the crowd was cheering,” Fritz said. “It's just kind of like how I am. I'm more of an emotional person when I'm happy. When I'm really happy I cry at happy endings of movies and not at sad stuff. That's kind of just how I am.

“It's just joy, the crowd cheering and kind of that realisation, like ‘Wow, I'm in the finals of the US Open. It's such a lifelong dream come true. Something I've worked my whole life for to be in this situation.”

Read more ahead of the 2024 US Open final
Sinner takes 'wait-and-see' approach with wrist
Fritz on reaching final: 'It is a lifelong dream come true'
Sinner shakes off wrist scare to down Draper, reaches final
Fritz rallies past Tiafoe to reach first Grand Slam final at US Open
Taylor Fritz: Inside the American's rise & competitive spirit

Fritz is up five spots to No. 7 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after advancing to his fourth tour-level final of the season and is also in strong contention for qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. The American is fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and would jump to fourth with victory.

In what is set to be a blockbuster match on Sunday, can Fritz end the 21-year American wait for a male major titlist, or will Sinner show the form he has all year and produce ‘lock-down mode’ to clinch his sixth title of 2024?

For more information on how to watch the final in New York from 2 p.m. EDT/ 8 p.m. CET. on Sunday, click here.

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