Emotional moments: Taylor Fritz’ encounter with Roger Federer after his resignation © Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Taylor Fritz reveals he personally thanked Roger Federer for everything he has done for tennis right after the Swiss player ended his tennis career. Federer, a former 20-time Grand Slam champion, retired from professional tennis last September after the Laver Cup. Fritz, who represented Team World, also attended Federer’s farewell.
After Federer’s career came to an end, fellow players gathered to exchange a hug and a few choice words with the Swiss tennis icon. “I said to him, ‘Thank you for what you’ve done for the sport.’
And that’s where I lost it. I started crying – everyone was crying – it was pretty much impossible not to.” revealed Fritz.
Taylor Fritz and Roger Federer© Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Fritz on the impact of Federer & the Big Three
This year’s US Open marks the 20th
Anniversary since the last time an American male tennis player won a singles Grand Slam title. There has not been an American Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick’s victory at the 2003 US Open.
Looking back at the Grand Slam dry spell in US men’s tennis, Fritz stressed that Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are one of the main reasons behind it. “Since then we’ve had the top three tennis players of all time and none of those three happen to be American,” said Fritz.Fritz, currently ranked 9th in the world, is the highest ranked American male tennis player.
After suffering a shocking and disappointing first-round miss at last year’s US Open, Fritz has made it through to the third round of the US Open this year. As a top-ranked American, Fritz knows he has a responsibility and he hopes to do so in Flushing Meadows to be successful.
“As the top American, there’s no getting around it. The US Open will always be the most important tournament of the year, so there will always be added pressure to perform well at your home Grand Slam and get big results,” said Fritz.
2023-09-02 17:02:37
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