Taylor Fritz collapsed to the court, hands on his head. He had just defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2022 BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells, California.
Moments later, he wept as the crowd cheered.
‘Winning this tournament is a crazy childhood dream that you think will never happen,’ he said through tears.
It was the biggest win of Fritz’s career, pushing him to a career-high ranking of No. 13 and solidifying his status as the top American male player. He told reporters that beating Nadal was ‘insane’ and his new goal was to reach the top 10.
That was three years ago. Since then, Fritz has achieved even more.
Before Indian Wells, he had never gone beyond the fourth round at a major. Now, he has five Grand Slam quarterfinals, including a US Open final appearance. He has also won six more tour titles, reached the 2024 ATP Finals final, and earned an Olympic bronze medal in men’s doubles at the 2024 Paris Games with Tommy Paul. Currently, he is ranked No. 4, a career high.
Now 27, Fritz returns to the BNP Paribas Open with momentum, aiming for another title at the site of his breakthrough.
‘Once I hit a milestone, it’s easier to repeat it, and then move to the next goal,’ Fritz told ESPN. ‘Last year gave me a lot of confidence.
‘The ultimate goal is a Grand Slam, but I also want to win big titles this year.’
High expectations are familiar for Fritz. His mother Kathy was a top-10 WTA player and major quarterfinalist, and his father Gus was also a pro player and coach. After winning the 2015 US Open boys’ title and becoming the top junior, Fritz was seen as America’s best hope to end the major title drought. His early tour results boosted this.
Fritz reached a final in his third ATP tournament in Memphis in 2016, the youngest American man since Michael Chang in 1988. He soon broke into the top 100. His first ATP title came in 2019 at Eastbourne, and he entered the top 25 the next month.
He reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal at Indian Wells in 2021, but his 2022 victory was transformative. Despite almost withdrawing due to an ankle injury, he won the tournament he grew up attending, against Nadal.
He wanted more.
‘I don’t want to get ahead of myself,’ Fritz said then. ‘My goal was top 10. I’d love to go higher, but one step at a time. It’s one tournament. Back to work, never satisfied.’
He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon within four months.
Fritz won two titles in 2023 and reached the US Open quarterfinals. 2024 was even better: Olympic bronze, and he reached the second week at every major for the first time since Andre Agassi in 2003, including quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the fourth round at the French Open, and the US Open final.
He finished the year with another final at the ATP Finals.
‘Reaching those finals gave me confidence and belief that I belong there,’ Fritz said.
His season, especially the end, cemented his status as the top American man and inspired his compatriots.
‘Seeing Fritz in the US Open final was awesome,’ said Paul. ‘We support each other. When one of us does well, we all believe we can too.
‘Fritz has led American tennis for years. Every generation needs that guy, and it’s awesome it’s him.’
Fritz remains low-key, spending downtime playing video games. He says only ‘true’ tennis fans recognize him, adding, ‘I don’t really leave my place much.’
Fritz continued his success into this season, leading the American team to the United Cup title with Coco Gauff. He won four of five singles matches, including against Hubert Hurkacz in the final.
Hoping to build on 2024 at the Australian Open, he lost in the third round to Gael Monfils, his earliest major exit since 2023. He then had few wins in Dallas and Delray Beach and withdrew from Acapulco with injury.
But Fritz isn’t panicking, staying focused.
‘I felt really confident entering the season and still do,’ Fritz said. ‘The Australian Open loss wasn’t too bad because I played well. My opponent just played better, which happens.
‘It’s easy to stay confident. Results will come if I keep playing well.’
Fritz hopes it all comes together again at Indian Wells.
Marcus Bellamy