‘Job’s not done’ for first-time Slam semifinalist Taylor Fritz at 2024 US Open

But until this fortnight at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Fritz had never reached the semifinal round at any of the four biggest tournaments in the sport, something both Paul and Tiafoe had already accomplished.

“I was always happy for them, honestly, like, pumped for them. I think the mental coping that I was doing for it was, well, every time I was in the quarters, I played Djokovic. I think that was my way to just protect my ego,” laughed Fritz, who in his 33rd career Grand Slam appearance finally got over the hump with a clutch 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) defeat of fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany. 

“No, I was always genuinely just really happy for my friends to see them have the success,” he continued, “and, if anything, it always gave me the confidence that I can do it, too.”

According to Fritz’s coach, Michael Russell, his team never had to harp on the glaring hole in his resume. Like their charge, they believed that if they kept honing his game, his time would indeed come.

And that’s exactly what Fritz did in front of a partisan crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 9, standing tall against the 6-foot-6 Zverev and effectively beating him at his own game.

“I think the way I came out today was different, because I just have been in this situation enough times,” said Fritz. “I think a question I got asked pretty much every time I lost in the quarterfinals was, ‘What’s it going to take to go further,’ and the answer I gave was always, ‘Just keep putting myself in these situations, and I’ll become more comfortable in these situations and get better.’ You know, that’s definitely what happened now. The quarterfinals didn’t feel like this big thing to me like it has, I guess, in the past.”

Fritz won’t have much time to celebrate his accomplishment. He moves on to face either his countryman Tiafoe or Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals on Friday.