Taylor Fritz conveyed how sorry he felt to the US Open crowd after defeat to Jannik Sinner in the final.
He went toe-to-toe with top seed Jannik Sinner for much of the final, however simply couldn’t match the intensity the Italian brought to the crucial moments.
Stealing the second set after a remarkable serving display from Taylor Fritz throughout highlighted the gulf between the two players.
Sinner’s ability to raise his level on the clutch moments in a match are the very traits of a player with grand slam pedigree.
Despite glimpses of this throughout the tournament, Fritz was second best and despite serving for the third set, made one definitive stumble to spoil the hopes of a comeback.
Andy Roddick ‘hates’ that Taylor Fritz has to address American tennis shortcomings
Much of the tournament was ravaged by narrative and an unhelpful one if you ask Andy Roddick, with Fritz telling the US Open crowd he was ‘sorry’ after the match.
As four American players managed to better, or in Frances Tiafoe’s case match their best ever major result, the sigh was its loudest when no new American champion was etched into history.
Roddick, the last man to win a major in 2003, aired his frustrations at this state of affairs, highlighting how angry he felt to have to watch Fritz answer for it.
“After the match against Frances, where they run through the litany of overplayed stats: ‘no American since this, finals since this, finals of the US Open since that’, and his attachment to wanting to be the guy to end this drought, I watch it and I’m like ‘man I hate that you have that on you,” Roddick explained on his podcast ‘Served’.
After the final, has like ‘I know we haven’t had…’ and he’s starting to get choked up. This thing he lives, it just sucks. It wasn’t about me, it was about how much it’s there, it’s a presence, these guys have to talk about it, and I felt like I had lost a match.
“I sat there for 10 minutes and it was just like ‘I hate he has to think about this’ – It’s so tired and I hate that they have to deal with it.”
Could Taylor Fritz reach another grand slam final?
Fritz certainly has the potential to reach another Grand Slam final, given his powerful serve and improving movement.
However, the 26-year-old still needs to overcome mental barriers in big moments.
While his quarter-final curse ended against Alexander Zverev in a match bookended by two clutch tie-breaks, Fritz let 11 break points go begging.
Just because Zverev is starting to look like a serial choker, it was a lapse of clinical edge he couldn’t afford to take into the final.
With Carlos Alcaraz presumably keen to bounce back after his disappointing run, Daniil Medvedev ousted in four sets by Sinner, and Novak Djokovic clearly keen for a 25th major title, he may well have his work cut out.