Get to Know Taylor Fritz, Semifinalist at the US Open
The last Grand Slam of the year has been filled with surprising and exciting moments, including the shocking exit of defending winners Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic early on in the competition. Whether it's something in the New York air or merely the rush of the final tournament, these players have given extraordinary demonstrations of talent to prove the new tennis generation is here to stay.
Taylor Fritz (Vogue)
One of the leading stars of the season is Taylor Fritz, a 26-year-old California native who has been making waves in the tennis world in recent years. He is set to face fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals after a victory over Alexander Zverev in a thrilling match. As we anticipate their quest for the Grand Slam title to bring it home for the first time in 21 years, here's some background on the world's No. 9 tennis prodigy.
Tennis Runs in his Blood
Taylor comes from a family of tennis players, which explains why he's so talented. His father, Guy Fritz, is a professional tennis player who was once ranked 200th in the world and later became a tennis coach, helping Taylor build a strong foundation in the sport. Taylor has often acknowledged his father as a key factor in his success, stating, "My dad is obviously an amazing coach. He completely developed both of our games from the start to when we basically turned pro," when talking about himself and CoCo Vandeweghe's early experiences in tennis.
Taylor Fritz and his Parents
On the other hand, his mom is Kathy May, also a big name in the field. She was once a top-10 player who reached the Grand Slam quarterfinals on three occasions: twice in the French Open (in 1977 and 1978) and once in the US Open (in 1978). Kathy and her son have appeared in eight Grand Slam quarterfinals combined, making Taylor's win the first time either of them has advanced to the semifinals after 47 years.
He began his own family legacy when he married fellow tennis player Raquel Pedraza in 2016. They welcomed a son, Jordan, the following year. While the couple is no longer together, he acknowledges that his son has changed how he views the world and goes about his life in new ways every day. Even though he travels a lot for work and is constantly training, he tries to make the most of his time with Jordan and enjoy every moment they can.
Multifaceted King
While he grew up surrounded by the sport and is currently building a successful career in it, Taylor enjoys other interests during his free time. He has a Twitch channel where he often streams and plays video games live, donating all of the earnings to support charities.
After his divorce, he began dating content creator Morgan Riddle in 2020. The pair met on the exclusive dating app Raya, and Morgan explains that she had just moved to LA when they first connected. Despite the frequent travel due to tournaments, the couple has remained strong after four years together. While he is doing killer serves, she is serving killer looks.
Taylor and Morgan (Getty Images)
Even though her content revolves around fashion and documenting their constant traveling, she isn't the only one doing major brand partnerships. As one of the hottest names in American sports right now, Fritz has collaborated with various big names, including Rolex, Nike, and, more recently, Boss, expanding his name into different industries and showing off some modeling skills in the process.
He's Only Getting Started
Taylor Fritz's Rolex Campaign
While this is his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance, he has come close before, reaching the quarterfinals on four different occasions. The most recent one was at last year's US Open, making this milestone achievement even more meaningful and a full-circle moment for him. His highest ranking was No. 5 in July 2023, and even though he is currently at No. 9, this tournament will undoubtedly cement him as one of the fresh new powerhouses in the sport. For now, he and Tiafoe are very close to making history if either of them wins the tournament, since the last time an American won the US Open was Andy Roddick in 2003.