Taylor Fritz makes bold claim ahead of U.S. Open

Taylor Fritz lost in straight sets to Jannik Sinner in the final of last year's U.S. Open. He has since lost two more times to the Italian, both on hard courts. The American is 0-3 in his career against Carlos Alcaraz, including a loss in this year's Wimbledon semifinal. 

A career 1-7 record against the world's two best players doesn't bode well for Fritz's chances at the upcoming U.S. Open, presuming he will have to beat one or the other to win his elusive first major title. However, the World No. 4 doesn't believe either player is unbeatable.

"I think in the right conditions and the right, like if the court's decent speed, I feel they’re both beatable," Fritz said of Alacaraz and Sinner, via The Tennis Gazette. "In tennis, just the way tennis is, some people, there are small margins. You win the big points, someone's having a really good serving day, a really good day, they're a little bit off, like they're very beatable."

As with any top-tier athlete, belief is the first step to success, so Fritz can't be blamed for feeling confident. That confidence is also justified. Last year, he became the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2006 to reach the U.S. Open final, and the first from the country to play in any major final since 2009.  

Further to Fritz's point, even the great ones endure off nights. At last year's U.S. Open, Alcaraz suffered a monumental upset when he lost to unseeded Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. 

Both Alcaraz (2022) and Sinner (2024) are former winners at Flushing Meadows, but the latter walks into this year's slam as the overwhelming favorite given his recent dominance on hard courts. The duo has split the last seven major titles, so a different winner at this year's U.S. Open would break a trend dating back to the 2024 Australian Open.