American tennis is currently in a great spot. On the ATP side, Taylor Fritz is sitting at No. 4 in the world, just behind Alexander Zverev, a player he holds a 5-0 record over across their five most recent meetings. Just behind him in the standings is Ben Shelton, who recently climbed to a career-high of No. 5 in the world with his National Bank Open win.
On the WTA side, Coco Gauff is poised to continue to make waves for years to come, while standouts like Madison Keys, who won the 2024 Australian Open, Jessica Pegula, and Amanda Anisimova all hover within the top 10.
Leading up to this year’s US Open, I spoke with Taylor about the current state of American tennis as part of an exclusive interview facilitated by Maestro Dobel, the official tequila of the US Open.
“We’re in a great spot. I think we got so many guys that can make really deep runs at all the big tournaments. And I think when we have these numbers and all these different guys that can be [competing] later on in these tournaments, it greatly increases the chances that someone’s gonna be winning big titles.”
Taylor Fritz Talks Davis Cup Hopes for Team USA
Despite the fact that we’re in the midst of the ATP hard court swing, and Taylor Fritz’s focus is on closing out the year strong, we also have the second round of the Davis Cup qualifiers coming up from Sept. 12-13.
Fritz has played for Team USA on four separate occasions over the years, and ahead of the Davis Cup final in late November, he feels as though this is the year for Team USA to end their 18-year drought.
Additionally, Fritz also spoke about the Laver Cup later this month, where he’ll make his fifth appearance after posting a 4-2 record in singles and 1-0 record in doubles across his four previous appearances.
“I think we have a great shot at Davis Cup, which is something I’ve talked about with the guys. It’s been a really long time since we won it, and I think we all believe that we have the team, and it’s kind of our time to do it in the next couple of years.
“So I think that’s something that all of us really want. And then Laver Cup, of course, too. I mean, we’re gonna have a great team. I think I’m excited for that as well after the Open, so there’s a lot of exciting things ahead for US Tennis individually and as a team.”
Fritz Opens Up On Grueling Tennis Season
While events like the Davis Cup keep fans entertained after the ATP Finals close out the season, for players, the year-round schedule is incredibly taxing.
After going on the record back in early August as saying that he would like to see a longer off-season, Fritz opened up on the challenges that come with two-week Masters 1000 tournaments, and a year-round schedule:
“It’s tough. You know, I always thought when I got ranked higher I would be able to play less. And for the most part, that’s true as far as, like, events played. But I end up still playing way more matches because I’m going deeper into tournaments, and it’s tough. I think it’s tough on the physical side of flying and all the time in planes and playing, and then also on the mental side of just having to be very locked in all the time. You don’t really get time to mentally reset and relax a bit.
“I try to do my best to make the most of the time off and kind of just go off of like how I’m feeling. … This upcoming stretch is probably the longest that I’m gonna go all year without really having much of a break. So I just have to mentally prepare for that.”
With the Asian hard court swing ahead, and Fritz currently sitting at No. 6 on the ATP Race to Turin, the American star is in for a busy couple of months between now and December.
EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Fritz Talks American Tennis, Grueling Schedule & More