Taylor Fritz has been in phenomenal form at the US Open this year. He has won all his matches in straight sets so far. Fritz is into his second-ever grand slam quarterfinal and will be looking to enter the last four for the first time. He has never passed the third round at the US Open, as he is playing it for the eighth time. Fritz has the home crowd support at the event, and his family will also be around to give him confidence.
The American needs to gain experience in crucial matches at the major. He reached his first grand slam quarterfinal last year at Wimbledon while losing to Rafael Nadal. The match lasted four and a half hours, and Fritz did not give up without a fight. His strength on the court does come from his family, who have also been dedicating their lives to the sport.
Taylor Fritz following mother Kathy May’s footsteps
The 25-year-old plays like a senior, experienced player, which is no coincidence. Fritz’s mother, Kathy May, was also a professional player. She has reached the quarterfinal stage at a grand slam thrice. She had reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 1977 1978 and the US Open in 1978. May will know precisely what Fritz is going through and can advise him on what to do next.
Like mother, like son ❤️
Kathy May, 1978 #USOpen Quarterfinalist 🤝 Taylor Fritz, 2023 #USOpen Quarterfinalist pic.twitter.com/6Kg62thGwg
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 4, 2023
Fritz will look to go past his mother’s record in the grand slam stage. He has already overtaken her in terms of ranking. May was ranked No. 10 during the peak of her career, while Fritz was ranked No. 5 at the start of this season. She had won seven titles across her career, while Fritz has already clinched six trophies. May will have a nostalgic trip when Fritz plays the match, as she did the same 45 years ago.
Taylor Fritz’s upbringing and coaching by his father
Fritz was born and brought up in San Diego, California. He was introduced to the sport when he was two and was guided by his father until he was eighteen. Guy Henry Fritz ensured young Fritz stayed on track during his initial days. He made sure that Fritz remained focused on his goal of becoming a world-class player. Henry was also a professional player but found more success as a coach.
#TurnbackTuesday from @CollegeOfDesert Men’s #Tennis head coach Guy Fritz’s first season with the Roadrunners, 1990! This season, he returned to the Desert after a lengthy hiatus to lead our Men’s Tennis team to their 15th @CCCAASports State Title. #WeAreCOD #CODProud pic.twitter.com/LdFhjj0DRf
— Desert Athletics (@COD_Athletics) April 30, 2019
As his diet was monitored, energy drinks and sugary products were kept away from Fritz during his childhood. Guy still coaches young athletes, as Fritz is mostly away due to the tour schedule. He believes that Fritz has a lot more to achieve in his career.
Taylor Fritz’s siblings and kids
Fritz has two brothers, and both of them are older than him. Fritz was born to Henry in May’s third marriage. She has two kids from her second marriage to Donn Paben. May married Brian Teacher, the Australian Open champion, in 1980. She did not have children in her first marriage.
Fritz’s elder brother, Chris Pabenis, is a fitness coach, and Kyle Paben is an entrepreneur. Fritz also has a son from his first marriage with former tennis player Raquel Pedraza. The couple is divorced but co-parent their son, Jordan. Jordan is six years old and plays video games with his father. Fritz is dating influencer Morgan Riddle; they always travel together to tournaments.
Fritz’s rise to the top 10 and fueling the rise of American tennis
Fritz is currently the highest-ranked American player on the ATP tour. He is presently the most successful player in his country and was ranked No.5 at the end of February this season. The grand slam titles have been evading America since Andy Roddick won the US Open title in 2003. He was also the last American man to reach a Grand Slam final; he was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2009.
Fritz reached the finals at Memphis in 2016 in his second year as a professional. He took his first title in 2019 at Eastbourne while only dropping a set in the whole event. The American could not play much in the next season due to the pandemic and could not rise in the 2021 season. In the 2022 season, he proved his mark on the sport.
Remembering when Taylor Fritz defeated Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 title!#NittoATPFlashback | #Partner pic.twitter.com/HGiwyUNVaN
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 12, 2023
Taylor Fritz reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and won his biggest title yet on tour in March. He entered the Indian Wells as the 20th seed and took the title, beating Nadal in the final. Andre Agassi won the title in 2001, and Fritz brought the title back home after two decades. He entered the top ten after winning two more tiles in the season and will complete a year of being in the top ten next month.
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