At Wimbledon, this Taylor makes sweet music

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It wasn’t so much that Taylor Fritz’ reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, no small accomplishment for an American, it was the way he did it.

Fritz lost the first two sets to Alexander Zverev, who at number 4 is ranked above him and has won two Grand Slam titles, and then came rolling back for a 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3 victory which was as meaningful as it was exciting. For American men’s tennis that is. US ladies have done well enough, because of the Williams sisters and now Emma Navarro has appeared (and knocked out bewildered Coco Gauff). 

However, no American man has won a Wimbledon singles title since Pete Sampras. That was in 2000 when Fritz, now 26, wasn’t even a year old. Not that anyone believes that with Novak Djokovic (a seven-time winner), defending champ Carlos Alcaraz, or the top player in the rankings, Jannik Sinner, Fritz will get that title. Still, he is there, and that’s progress.  

So he’s not the most famous individual on the globe with the first name of Taylor (yes, Ms. Swift is). Fritz can make sweet music when the ball flies off the racquet strings and makes pleasant sounds when the racquet meets the ball. We’re not talking music here, although there can be a sweet sound when a ball flies off the racquet strings.

U.S. men’s tennis is longing for the days when Sampras, Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and Jim Courier were greedily collecting grand slams. The U.S. tennis establishment has been promising (and hoping) for a return to the good—not-so-old days.

Fritz, Francis Tiafoe and Tommy Paul were mentioned perhaps all too frequently of being the cast that returned America to where it used to be in the men’s game. Sort of like waiting for the Giants to finish in front of the Dodgers. At least Fritz remains at Wimbledon into the quarters where he will face Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. They have met on three previous occasions, with the American winning two of them.

“It was amazing,” said Fitz of his victory. “To do that on Centre Court at Wimbledon, two sets down.”

Centre County, under the roof, the weather almost from the start of the Wimbledon fortnight has been traditional, rain.

As almost everyone knows Fritz grew up with the game. His mother, Kathy May, was a champion, and his father, Guy Fritz, was a coach. Taylor grew up in Southern California, where he quickly showed his skills. He skipped college, turned pro early, and has been more than a minimal success, taking Indian Wells in 2022.

At the time that was big. Now he is chasing something bigger.