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'They’ve taken massive strides to become dominant players': Taylor Fritz motivated by rise of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to improve further

Originally posted on TennisUpToDate.com | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 10:27 AM ET

Taylor Fritz arrived at the 2025 US Open speaking confidently about his form, his friendships on tour, and his outlook on the challenges ahead. Preparing for a first-round clash against Emilio Nava — a rematch of their recent battle in Cincinnati — Fritz admitted it would be no easy task.

“The prep’s been pretty solid,” Fritz said in his press conference. “It’s been a busy week for sure, but I feel like I’m playing good tennis. Hopefully I can get through the match on Sunday and then I’ll have two more days to keep touching up the game and feeling good. I think Emilio’s a tough match. Our match in Cincinnati was very close. I didn’t really have many looks to break him outside of the two games where I did. He’s a big server, big hitter. It can definitely be a really tough match.”

The American was then asked about the bond he shares with fellow countrymen Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton, who he will join at Davis Cup and Laver Cup. “I’ve known Francis and Tommy since I was pretty young — over 10 years,” Fritz explained. “Ben has come into the group in the last couple of years, but we all get along really well. Those guys are some of my absolute closest friends. We’ve been traveling all around the world together for so long, so I’m excited. These team events where I get to spend a lot of time with them are always a lot of fun.”

Reflecting on team moments, he recalled the highs and lows of the Laver Cup. “Last year it came down to Francis and myself at the end, and we both lost. But the year we won it for the first time in London, it was the reverse — it came down to me and Francis. Before he went out to play, we were pumping each other up. I told him, ‘Go out and get this, and if not, play free, don’t worry. I’ve got it.’ One of us just had to win. That’s how it always is — we give each other that extra bit of energy.”

Growing interest in fashion, Sinner and Alcaraz

Asked why no man has defended the US Open title in nearly two decades, Fritz admitted he didn’t have a clear answer. “Honestly, it’s really tough to say. Towards the end of the year a lot of tennis has been played, people’s bodies are in different spots. It might just be coincidence. I don’t really know.”

Fritz also discussed his recent mixed doubles experience, which ended earlier than expected. “I was really excited to play, but disappointed with our performance as a team. We had high hopes. Both Elaine and I expected to play a lot better. The format’s very fast, so it felt like there wasn’t much time to settle in. You make one mistake and the set’s over. But I had a lot of fun. There was a lot of buzz around it, the fans seemed to enjoy it, and it’s definitely something I’d want to do again.”

Off court, Fritz admitted New York is often more work than play. “The last couple of years, not really, because of obligations and commitments, and then the practice and driving back and forth. Any free time I get, I just want to relax and recover. The lead-in weeks have been busy, so I haven’t done too much. If I do get the chance, I just like to go out to a nice dinner.”

The Californian also spoke about his growing interest in fashion, having previously walked in New York Fashion Week. “In the future I’d love to do it again and walk in shows, but probably not after this one — my schedule’s getting tighter and tighter. When it allows it, it’s something I enjoy. I don’t know exactly what’s drawn me in, I just think it’s fun, it suits me well, and it’s different from what I normally do.”

Turning back to tennis, Fritz acknowledged the strides made by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. “They’ve both improved a lot, which you’d expect because they’re younger and still developing. But they’ve taken massive strides over the last two years to become dominant players. I think they motivate the rest of us to improve, because you have to if you want to beat them and contend for the biggest titles.”

Mixed doubles reflection

On doubles, he reflected again on the mixed format after facing the tournament’s lone doubles specialist pair, who went on to win the event. “I can’t argue with the fact that they won. They obviously played really well and did a lot of things differently. I still think we didn’t play our best, and the short format didn’t give us much time to adapt to how much they were moving and the things they were doing. But yeah, I can’t argue with the result. My opinion was based on my experience playing doubles with singles players, where I’ve often done well against doubles teams. Maybe mixed is a different story.”

Discussing serving trends, Fritz said second serves have evolved in recent years. “When I was younger, second serves were a bit more attackable. People might kick it more or put it in the same spot. Nowadays, if someone stands really far back, people are more OK just kicking it in safely. But when opponents try to step in and attack the second serve, players won’t let that happen — they mix up spots more, go hard to the body, be more aggressive. That’s always been my philosophy: if someone’s going to stand close, I’m going to be aggressive with my second serve so they can’t attack it. And I think a lot of players are doing that now, which makes it tougher to step in.”

Finally, reflecting on his return to Flushing Meadows after making the 2024 final, Fritz acknowledged both nerves and confidence. “For me, it’s a bit of both. At all the Slams or big tournaments where I have high expectations, the first round or two always come with nerves. But if you can get past that and settle in, then you start to feel that confidence — you’ve been here before, you’ve played well here. Once you get through the initial nerves, you settle into the tournament and really start to play well. That’s how it is for me at a lot of big events.”

This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.

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