Not even the most pessimistic American could have imagined that Andy Roddick’s triumph at the 2003 US Open would be followed by a 23-year Grand Slam singles title drought for American men’s tennis. That heavy burden—an anomaly given the sport’s history—is one Taylor Fritz is trying to end at Wimbledon.
“I’ve always said I’d love to be the one to do it. At the end of the day, that’s my professional goal,” the world No. 7 said earlier this week about his country’s more than two-decade wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion.
After defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(7-5), Fritz is the last American man standing in the draw. Frances Tiafoe, Michael Zheng, Tommy Paul, Jenson Brooksby, Marcos Giron and Zachary Svajda all exited in the third round.
For the 2022 Indian Wells champion, that expectation is not simply the result of being the last one left. Alongside Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, he is arguably one of the best grass-court players on the tour. He has won the Eastbourne title four times and lifted the Stuttgart trophy in 2025. This season, he also reached the finals in both Stuttgart and Halle.
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“I know that if I can play well on grass, I can beat anyone and achieve big things,” Fritz said ahead of Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals in 2025 and has already booked his place in the last 16 this year.
The United States remains the most successful nation in the history of men’s Grand Slam tennis, but since the rise of the Big Three, its players have come up empty-handed in men’s singles. In fact, only three Americans have reached a Grand Slam final since 2004: Andy Roddick (Wimbledon in 2004, 2005 and 2009, and the US Open in 2006), Andre Agassi (US Open 2005) and Fritz himself (US Open 2024).
Those six lost finals over the past 23 years stand in stark contrast to the previous 23-year period before 2003. Between 1980 and 2003, eight American men won Grand Slam singles titles, collecting 37 championships between them. Among them were legends such as Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi.
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Fritz has a special opportunity at the All England Club this year. Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz has missed the tournament through a wrist injury, while both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic arrived in London with question marks over their fitness. Alexander Zverev, the reigning Roland Garros champion and a potential semi-final opponent, has lost each of his last seven meetings with Fritz, including three on grass, the most recent just a couple of weeks ago in Halle.
American fans are hoping he can finally end the country’s long wait for a men’s Grand Slam singles champion. It is a rare break in what has otherwise been an era of sustained success: while the men struggled to conquer the singles game, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Coco Gauff continued to collect Grand Slam titles. The story was no different in doubles, where the Williams sisters and the Bryan brothers redefined the discipline through their dominance.
