There’s a moment in the first season of ”Break Point”, the Netflix documentary series about professional tennis, when Taylor Fritz’s coaching team is urging him not to play the final of Indian Wells in 2022.
While warming up for the biggest match of his life, Fritz had injured his ankle to the point where he came off the court unable to put any weight on it. He called it one of the worst pains he had ever felt. But he was going up against Rafael Nadal in the biggest match he’d ever played to that point in his career, at the tournament he grew up attending as a kid growing up outside of San Diego.
No matter the consequences, there was zero chance of Fritz pulling out. He was always going to play.
And a few hours later, he won the most significant title of his career, 6-3, 7-6.
Fritz, a 26-year-old who has been knocking on the door of stardom for several years, can often seem too cool and a little too aloof to be an elite professional athlete. He’s got that low-key, California vibe going on at all times. You’re rarely going to see an explosion of emotion out of him regardless of whether things are going well.
But never forget that Fritz, deep down, has slowly but surely become a competitive monster on the ATP Tour.
And it came to fruition on the biggest stage Friday night when he came from behind to beat his good friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the U.S. Open semifinals.
With the instincts to hang on when things were going against him and the talent to finish with a flourish worthy of the moment, Fritz advances to his first Grand Slam final and will face No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
It’s a moment that has been a long time coming for Fritz, who has been the best American player for the last several years and steadily improved during his time on the ATP Tour.
And now, he’ll have a chance to end the 21-year drought of American players winning Grand Slams since Andy Roddick’s U.S. Open title in 2003.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Open: Taylor Fritz survives five-set match, earns first Slam final
