American uprising: Taylor Fritz leading U.S. surge into top tier of men’s tennis

While the United States has produced multiple champions in women’s tennis for the past two decades — thanks in large part to Venus and Serena Williams and their influence — the American men’s game had lagged behind.

That is, until now.

A growing number of emerging American men are making their presence known in 2023. Led by world No. 9 Taylor Fritz, they are racking up wins and chasing the one thing that has eluded an American man for the last 20 years: a Grand Slam title.

“It is cool to kind of see the improvements from last year, you know, coming here with Frances [Tiafoe] and I both in the top 10,” Fritz said Tuesday, fresh off his victory in the ATP 250 event in Atlanta on Sunday. “We weren’t at this time last year, and a lot of other guys are ranked significantly higher than they were this time last year.”

Fritz and Tiafoe, the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, at the DC Open, are joined in the ATP top 50 by five other compatriots, giving the U.S. the most representation of any nation in that part of the rankings.

“There is maybe always a little bit of added pressure when you’re playing [other Americans], because we’re friends. At the end of the day, we do want to beat each other,” Fritz said.

To be the next American man to finally add to Andy Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open win, it takes consistency. Last year, Tiafoe became the youngest American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since Roddick in 2006 before winning the second and third titles of his career in Houston and Stuttgart this year. Chris Eubanks has also surged into that conversation, up to No. 29 after his thrilling quarterfinal run at Wimbledon.

“[Eubanks is a great example,” Fritz said. “He won Mallorca, and the way he was playing at Wimbledon, just the confidence, he was playing insane. He was playing easily, easily top-10 level. That’s how it happens.”

At this time last year, Fritz struggled to get into form. He played with a nagging stress fracture in his foot through Wimbledon, then wore a walking boot and stayed off the court for a few weeks, hoping to “play myself back into shape” in D.C. The plan didn’t work, with the Californian retiring in the third set of a round-of-16 match against Great Britain’s Dan Evans due to fatigue.

“It’s not that surprising, I guess, that my fitness wasn’t there kind of just after not being able to do anything for a bit,” Fritz said. “So this year obviously I have been able to play continuously. I think that I’m in just a much better place, for sure.”

With the Atlanta win, Fritz has won two titles of his own in 2023 and five since the beginning of last year.

He’ll begin his D.C. play Wednesday against fellow Californian Zachary Svajda. The qualifier defeated Australian Max Purcell 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 Tuesday.

Other American men saw mixed results elsewhere across the Fitzgerald Tennis Center Tuesday. No. 5 seed Gregor Dimitrov of Bulgaria dispatched Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-2. 

“Very tricky opponent today, so yeah, very happy the way I performed,” McDonald said. “I think that was a good match for me. Still a few things to clear up in my game, but other than that, I feel in a good spot. Little by little, I hope I’m getting better.”

American Ben Shelton also dropped his match, a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 loss to Juncheng Shang of China. It’s Shelton’s second loss to Shang in as many weeks. 

San Diego’s Brandon Nakashima won a battle against Aleksandar Vukic, the runner-up to Fritz in Atlanta, needing tiebreakers in both sets to best the Australian, 7-6(5), 7-6(9). Nakashima will next face three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray.

U.S. women fared much better early on, sweeping their trio of matches. D.C. native Hailey Baptiste got bageled in the second set against Karolina Pliskova, but rallied for the win over the former world No. 1, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3. Baptiste faces compatriot and world No. 4 Coco Gauff in the second round.

Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jennifer Brady was warmly welcomed as she made her return to the WTA tour after missing two years after knee surgery as well as foot issues. She used the support to make easy work of Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, 6-2, 6-1.

And Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns took advantage of her second chance to reach the main draw by beating Poland’s Magdalena Frech in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. Stearns lost to Baptiste in a qualifying match Sunday, but got a “lucky loser” spot in the field by virtue of former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin’s withdrawal due to injury.