Two weeks of top-quality tennis at the US Open will culminate in Sunday's championship match. The 26-year-old American Taylor Fritz will face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy.
The Californian will be eager to capitalize on this historic chance. At the same time, his Italian counterpart seeks his second Grand Slam crown of the year, having already won the Australian Open title in January.
The US Open has always been recognized as the most unpredictable of the Grand Slams, and this year's tournament has only reinforced that reputation. Stunning early exits by defending champion Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon and French Open winner Carlos Alcaraz shocked fans, leaving the latter stages of the event devoid of the usual marquee names. Yet, the excitement was rekindled by a surprise all-American semifinal, ensuring a homegrown finalist, much to the delight of local fans.
Head-to-Head: The rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz is evenly poised at 1-1, with both meetings taking place on American soil (at Indian Wells in 2021 and 2023, with Fritz winning their first meeting 6-4, 6-3, while Sinner claimed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win to dethrone the American in the quarterfinals last year).
Jannik Sinner's path to the final grew clearer with each upset, and his commanding win over former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals only solidified his status as the favorite. His semifinal against Jack Draper was expected to be a formality, and Sinner delivered with a dominant straight-sets victory, advancing to his first US Open final with relative ease.
Even before the tournament unfolded, the world No. 1 was considered the rightful favorite due to his remarkable hard-court form. Sinner, who has claimed eight hard-court titles, including the Australian Open earlier this season, has also tallied an impressive 20 wins against top-10 opponents on this surface since 2023. The only shadow over his success has been the scrutiny following a failed drug test, though he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Despite the controversy, Sinner remained focused, adding another Grand Slam final to his resume.
At just 23 years old, Sinner continues to make history. By reaching his second hard-court Slam final this year, he became the youngest player to do so, surpassing Roger Federer. If he secures the US Open title, he will join an elite group of players - Mats Wilander, Federer, and Novak Djokovic - who have won two hard-court Slams in the same season.
With his strong performances in New York City, Sinner became the first Italian man to reach multiple Grand Slam finals in the Open Era.
Even with Alcaraz's two major titles, sinner has also been the most consistent Grand Slam performer in 2024. With 22 Slam match wins this season, he is the only active non-Big Four player to achieve this feat in the 21st century. This year, his only two Major defeats came in five-setters against Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, in which Sinner won the opening set in both encounters. His staggering 54-5 record in 2024 (74-7 since last year's US Open) underscores his dominance, though his biggest concern remains his fitness. A physical setback played a role in each of his five losses this year, and his record in five-set matches - losing six of his last eight - remains a vulnerability.
Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, secured his place in the final after a dramatic all-American semifinal against Frances Tiafoe. While Fritz was considered the favorite, few expected him to win by outlasting Tiafoe in a five-set duel. After squandering chances in the first set and trailing two sets to one, Fritz appeared in trouble.
But as his opponent's energy waned midway through the fourth set, the Californian seized control, managing his fitness and powering through to a 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory - his seventh consecutive win over Tiafoe.
Although the 26-year-old is often perceived as a typical big server from the USA, his career statistics suggest he is a player with grit and endurance. He holds a 12-11 record in five-set matches, and only Carlos Alcaraz has more five-set wins in this decade (12 compared to Fritz's 11). His ability to grind through long matches should not be underestimated, especially as he heads into his first Grand Slam final.
Fritz's road to the US Open final has not been without obstacles. His preparations for the tournament were far from ideal, and throughout much of his career, the US Open had not been his most successful Grand Slam. However, his role as the leading figure in American men's tennis has grown since John Isner's decline in 2019. Fritz has helped spearhead a resurgence, with five Americans now ranked inside the ATP top 20.
To mark the magnitude of his consistency over the past months, Fritz is the first American since Andre Agassi in 2001 to reach the fourth round at each of the Majors in the same season.
Moreover, the last American man to reach the US Open final was Andy Roddick in 2006, when he faced Roger Federer at the height of his powers. This time, Fritz faces another daunting challenge in Sinner, who has lost just seven matches in 2024-one fewer than Federer had by this stage in his dominant 2006 season.
Though Fritz has yet to compete in a Grand Slam final and is winless (0-8) against world No. 1s, he confidently approaches Sunday's final. "I have a feeling I'm going to come out and play well and win," Fritz declared, and he will certainly need that belief if he's to pull off an upset against the top-ranked Sinner in front of a home crowd.
Jannik Sinner has been nearly unbeatable at his best, posting a 44-1 record against players outside the Top 10 this season and boasting a 15-4 career record in championship matches at tour-level events. This makes him the favorite heading into Sunday's showdown at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
That said, Fritz has reason to remain hopeful. The home-court advantage could be significant, and historically, winning two hard-court Grand Slams in a single season has proven difficult.
Sinner's history of physical issues and struggles in five-set matches also present potential openings for the American to exploit. Forcing Sinner into a fifth set might be Fritz's best chance of emerging victorious, but that will require a Herculean effort against the in-form Italian so we believe that we might witness a match that will be decided in Under 39.5 Games.
