'That's my only complaint': Taylor Fritz's thoughts on scheduling and tough US Open win

Taylor Fritz advanced to the third round of the 2025 US Open after a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4 victory against Lloyd Harris, showcasing both his physical skill and mental resilience in challenging conditions. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Fritz was candid about the difficulties he faced during the match, the nuances of playing top opponents, and the unique pressures of competing at his home Grand Slam.

"It was pretty windy out there, and I feel like a lot of shots weren’t necessarily working for me. So I had to adapt, accept it, and just work with what I had, do what I could," Fritz explained at the post-match press conference following his second-round victory at the US Open. "In the end, I think I could have done a lot of things better, but I buckled down and did my best not to get frustrated when certain things weren’t going for me.".

Fritz's first set evaluation

The first set, taken by Harris, tested Fritz’s patience. When asked to evaluate his opponent, Fritz highlighted Harris’s consistency and precision. "Lloyd’s the same age as me, so I’ve known Lloyd forever. He’s dangerous because he’s solid from the back. He doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, and he has a very good serve. If you’re not on, it’s very easy to get into trouble," Fritz said. He recalled the opening set, noting missed opportunities to break Harris and how a few errors on his part allowed Harris to secure the set.

Regarding tennis etiquette

Fritz also addressed the often-discussed etiquette in tennis, particularly regarding lucky net-cord points. "If someone does it to me and doesn’t apologise, I don’t care at all," he said. "If anything, it might fire me up and make me play better. For me, it’s just a reflex, if I win a point in a cheesy way off a net cord, I’ll say, ‘Oh, my bad,’ but I think it’s fine to acknowledge it and, if it’s a big point, maybe celebrate a little. It’s common courtesy, but I don’t really care too much.".

Taylor's thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz

When asked about playing Carlos Alcaraz across different surfaces, Fritz offered insights into how conditions affect even the world’s top players. "Hard courts can vary a lot. We played at the Laver Cup, which had super slow, dead conditions. I felt like no matter what I did, it was tough to put the ball away, but it wasn’t too hard for him. Then, we played in Miami, which was really fast. I think he can play on pretty much anything, he has so much variety. It’s more about how he’s feeling and how locked in he is than the surface.".

Scheduling concerns

Scheduling at the US Open was another topic Fritz addressed, acknowledging the challenges of competing in a Grand Slam with limited court availability and high-profile opponents on the same side of the draw. “Yes, there are a lot fewer time slots. I’m on the same side of the draw as Novak, Carlos, Ben, and Frances, which makes it harder than you’d think for the number one American to play when I want. I don’t mind too much, but the big thing is knowing the schedule ahead of time so I can plan practice. That’s my only complaint," he said.

Harris's medical timeout

During the match, Harris required medical attention, and reporters asked Fritz whether this impacted his approach. "I didn’t really know. There were a couple of games where he wasn’t moving as much, and after one medical timeout, his serve lost a little pop, maybe five miles per hour, but he was still hitting 120 mph flat serves. At the end, when I got broken at 5-2, he played one of the most insane games ever. I think he had flare-ups of injuries, then felt better. I just tried to play the same and focus on my game.".

Fritz's pancake serve?

Fritz also discussed his innovative "pancake serve," a tricky shot he often uses in doubles but occasionally in singles. "I do it a lot in doubles, and I’ve used it in a couple of singles matches. I thought about using it today when serving for the match at 5-2 to break the rhythm, but I refrained. I learned it when I was young... one of my friends’ dads used it to simulate a lefty serve. With a Western forehand grip, it’s not too hard to pick up. I’ve gotten pretty good at it, and it was funny that it got on camera.".

Finally, Fritz reflected on some of the toughest shots he has faced in his career. "I’d say Del Potro’s forehand in practice, Federer’s slice when it stayed really low, and I think it’s fair to say, Isner’s serve," he said. These reflections offer insight into how Fritz measures his own development against some of the game’s greats.

With this victory, Fritz moves into the third round of the US Open, where he will face Swiss qualifier Jerome Kym.