On Sunday, Taylor Fritz will face off against Jannik Sinner in the US Open men’s final (2 p.m. ET ABC; ESPN+). Sinner is ranked No. 1 in the world and won the Australian Open title earlier this year, while Fritz is playing in his first Grand Slam final. Can Fritz somehow pull off the upset? Our experts weigh in.
What can Fritz do to defeat Sinner?
Brad Gilbert: Fritz has to serve really well and take some chances on his second serve, combining the serve with his forehand to control the rallies. From the neutral rallies, he needs be bold with the forehand.
D’Arcy Maine: It’s simple: Play the best match of his life.
I’m only sort of joking. But what struck me most about Fritz’s five-set win over Frances Tiafoe on Friday night was his ability to stay in it, no matter what. Even when momentum and the crowd were on Tiafoe’s side, Fritz just kept fighting and doing whatever he could to give himself a chance. He took control in the fourth set and showed the same mental strength we’ve seen all tournament against several high-quality opponents including Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev.
But Sinner is the world No. 1 for a reason and arguably the best hard-court player on tour at the moment. There will be little room for error for Fritz, and he cannot allow himself to have momentary lags like he did against Tiafoe. Everything — his big serve, his movement, his powerful hitting — will need to be as close to flawless as possible.
Bill Connelly: Return like he has never returned before. Fritz has won three of five all-time sets with Sinner, but they haven’t played since Indian Wells 2023, before Sinner’s 2024 breakthrough. And with each passing year, Sinner’s serve has grown more and more effective. He entered the US Open having held serve 91.7% of the time in 2024, tied with Matteo Berrettini for the best average in the ATP top 50.
Fritz started slowly in New York, but over his past four matches he has held serve 91.8% of the time. He has found his rhythm, and he’ll have to make the absolute most of the break opportunities he gets. That, or try to win tiebreakers against a guy who almost never loses tiebreakers.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Fritz has to serve the biggest he…
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