2024 US Open: Analysis of the Men's Final, Fritz vs Sinner

Carlos Navarro | 8 Sep 2024 | 10.00

Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner, after their latest encounter in Indian Wells. Source: Getty

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Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner are just hours away from competing in the US Open 2024, one of the most important matches of their respective careers. For the American, there has never been a moment like this: the opportunity to bring a Grand Slam title to the United States over two decades later and, of course, to inaugurate his trophy cabinet silencing many critics who never considered him a winner. On the other hand, the Italian has much to prove: after the controversy with his accidental positive test and all the gossip off the court, no elite player has been more consistent and regular than him.

Not only that: Jannik has set his sights on a statistic that neither the Big Three nor Carlos Alcaraz could add to their list of achievements. None of them ever managed to win two Grand Slam titles in the season they opened their Major count, something that the South Tyrolean is just one match away from achieving. Furthermore, Sinner is the clear favorite in this final: in terms of accomplishments in a setting like this, ranking, form, experience, hierarchy... and tennis.

However, if there is someone with nothing to lose, it is his opponent. For Taylor Fritz, being in the final is a gift; he had never before reached a Grand Slam semifinal, still feeling the sting of his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat against Lorenzo Musetti. Not only has he surpassed his personal best: the American has upped the ante and shown remarkable composure to make it to the final, facing the crucial moments of each match with a resilience unseen in his career before.

He has proven it twice, both in the quarter-finals against Zverev and in the semi-finals against Tiafoe. In the latter, he had to come back from a 1-2 deficit, something Sinner has not faced at this US Open. While Sinner may not seem to be playing his brightest tennis, the Italian is a relentless force that eventually wears down his opponents. Medvedev, Paul, and Draper all experienced moments of weakness, something Jannik did not encounter, establishing a sufficient advantage to dispatch them quite effortlessly.

WILL FRITZ SPRING A SURPRISE?

Despite being elite players for several seasons, their head-to-head record stands at 1-1. Moreover, they have only crossed paths at Indian Wells: Fritz won the initial encounter (2021), while the latest, in three tight sets, went to the Italian (2023). Perhaps none of the patterns from those matches hold, especially given Jannik's elevated level since the latter half of 2023 and Taylor's newfound calmness and ability to showcase his best self in crucial moments.

For the American, one thing is clear: two shots need to be in sync and flow like never before if he wants a chance at claiming the title. One is the serve, a vital weapon to secure free points and enable him to assert his dominance with his topspin forehand early in the rally; the other is the down-the-line backhand, the trickiest shot, to force Sinner out of the cross-court backhand exchanges and expose his weaker side, a territory where Taylor thrives. Nonetheless, the task is monumental: beyond the serve, everything Fritz can do, Sinner can (and usually does) do better. Disrupting him by deviating from his typical patterns might be the best way to achieve that surprising victory that few can envision. Nevertheless, this is a Grand Slam final... and magic, one way or another, always finds its way. Never doubt it.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, US Open 2024: Análisis de la final masculina, Fritz vs Sinner