NEW YORK — Within the build-up to Wimbledon, Taylor Fritz stated males’s tennis feels extra open now, in contrast with the Large Three period.
“It took simply one in all them to be taking part in extremely effectively,” he stated of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“We have been youthful and inferior to we at the moment are. You have been hoping that they’d have an off day and also you’d have an on day,” Fritz stated. “These days, anybody within the prime 15, it’s sort of whoever performs higher.
“It’s thrilling for all of us as a result of we all know that each one it takes is 2 weeks or 10 days of taking part in actually high-level tennis, and taking the chance as finest as attainable.”
This U.S. Open has proved Fritz proper and fallacious. Early exits for Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz supplied hope to the chasing pack, however the match ended upholding the established order, as world No. 1 Jannik Sinner received his second Grand Slam of the yr by beating Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
With the opposite two majors of 2024 going to Alcaraz, 21, he and Sinner, 23, have received 5 of the final six Slams. They’re delivering on the sharp finish of majors with Large Three-like effectivity, and so they’re nonetheless fairly younger.
Their domination feels completely different to the remainder of the locker room, although. After Frances Tiafoe was defeated by Fritz in Friday’s semifinal, he stated this match had been “huge” in displaying the most effective of the remaining {that a} Grand Slam win is inside attain. “It reveals that it’s undoubtedly attainable,” he stated. “The sport’s open. Even with Alcaraz and Sinner and these different guys, it’s not what it was.”
Alexander Zverev, ranked simply forward of Alcaraz at No. 2 however with out the identical main success, expressed related sentiments forward of Wimbledon.
A part of the sentiment comes from the truth that even when they’re successful the majority of the slams, Sinner and Alcaraz are usually not but on the level of being a shoo-in for the semis or finals of each huge match. Alcaraz confirmed that together with his second-round exit right here. Djokovic continues to be wildly gifted however has been extra uneven, providing the sphere a glimmer of hope after his worst Grand Slam yr since 2017 (and second worst since 2009).
Fritz stated Sunday that what encourages him is that he reached the ultimate with out taking part in that effectively.
“I feel it’s actually optimistic for me as a result of I don’t really feel like at any particular level in these two weeks … I used to be taking part in, like, wonderful tennis,” he stated. “Possibly it is a little more open. I don’t suppose you must, I don’t know, play unbelievable to go deep in tournaments and contend.”
“After I play good tennis,” Taylor Fritz stated, “I feel that stage is nice sufficient to win.” (Jamie Squire / Getty Pictures)
Gamers equivalent to Fritz additionally haven’t constructed up the sort of scar tissue with Alcaraz and Sinner that they’d with the Large Three. Even when they discover themselves shedding to them, no less than they really feel like they’ve an opportunity of successful.
With the Large Three, gamers equivalent to Fritz largely went in with hope reasonably than expectations. In contrast, earlier than dealing with Sinner, Fritz stated: “I’ve a sense I’m going to come back out and play rather well and win. After I play good tennis, I feel that stage is nice sufficient to win.”
In the long run, Sinner proved too robust. Fritz acknowledged afterward that: “I feel that (now) you will discover your self a bit deeper within the attracts — quarterfinals and stuff — in case you simply play stable tennis. I nonetheless suppose to beat the highest guys, you should carry your finest sport.”
And that’s the rub. For a participant like Fritz to interrupt by means of and win a slam, he greater than seemingly nonetheless has to face Sinner, Alcaraz or Djokovic. And as a lot as this match confirmed there is likely to be extra possibilities for gamers exterior the elite to succeed in the quarters, semis and finals, none of these gamers recorded a landmark win towards one of many prime three.
Djokovic’s conqueror, Alexei Popyrin, is a rung or two under the group of predominant challengers, and Botic van de Zandschulp, who defeated Alcaraz, isn’t more likely to be on the sharp finish of slams anytime quickly.
Fritz, although, will come out of this match together with his standing within the sport barely altered. He spoke after shedding to Sinner about how one can solely beat what’s in entrance of you, and the way in which he navigated the extremely aggravating and barely unusual semifinal towards his good good friend and compatriot Tiafoe on Friday appears to have boosted his confidence.
There had all the time been a contest between these two and the remainder of the shut group of American gamers about who would get to a Grand Slam remaining first. Fritz has performed it and, in his thoughts, whereas not taking part in his finest. That bodes effectively for him heading into the Australian Open in January.
However Sunday, Fritz was reminded he’s nonetheless a method off from taking that remaining step. He spoke about how his Plan B of grinding it out works towards most gamers however not these on the very prime. He is aware of he’ll want so as to add extra to his sport to take that subsequent step.
As a result of whereas the paths to the semis and finals is likely to be getting simpler, so long as Alcaraz and Sinner are delivering, the chasing pack nonetheless has a solution to go.
(High picture: Kena Betancur / AFP)