Imagine playing against a friend, known to you since your teenage years, on one of the grandest tennis stages! Tiafoe and Fritz’s US Open semifinal match displayed the same scenes! The anticipation leading up to the match that decided who would be the first American man to enter the finals of a grand slam since 2009 made the stakes incredibly even higher. “I did all I could to stay in it,” said Taylor Fritz snatched a heartfelt 4-6, 7-5, 4-6 victory against ‘best friend’ Frances Tiafoe. Frtiz recently explained the “feel-good” yet “tense” match!

Tiafoe, who reached the 2022 US Open semifinals, previously admitted that they both have contrasting personalities off the court. However, on-court they’re fierce rivals, with Fritz leading the 7-1 head-to-head. Moreover, Tiafoe once confessed, “..as competitors we’re very alike, hate to lose…we battle hard.” During Nothing Major‘s 20th September episode, the former World No. 5 had a similar essence in his answer when the host asked about the “unexpected” and “surreal” aspect of his run to the final round in New York.

Fritz, who fell short against Jannik Sinner in the finals, stated, “I’d say just like the biggest moment, that the feel-good moment was winning the semi-final match, just it being over. Because it was genuinely one of the most stressful matches, I have ever played.” Fritz, who cruised past Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals in four sets, emphasized how the waiting period (two days) before the semifinals match (which he knew would be “so tight,”) added more to his stress. The 26-year-old added, “We’re both playing to be the American to make it to the finals and also it’s like, one of my best friends, it’s just, like, super stressful.”

For the 2023 US Open quarterfinalist, Fritz, the completion of the match made him heave a sigh of relief. “Like, win a really tense match, and you can kind of celebrate after the match is over. It’s such a such a good feeling,” the American concluded. However, after the match ended, Fritz confessed that Frances ‘overwhelmed’ him during the match, leading him to “freak out” mid-match, but in his mind, he had his agenda clear. “I just told myself to stay in it, hold serve, and apply scoreboard pressure.”

As he went on with that mindset, Fritz finally achieved his “dream come true moment” in the Flushing Meadows while Tiafoe’s “body shut down” on him during the match. However, when the pressure of playing against each other is off the charts, their admiration for one another is always palpable and Tiafoe’s latest compliments on Fritz have proved it once again!

“It’s crazy”: Tiafoe said on Taylor Fritz’s appearance in a fashion show in Milan

Following a thrilling encounter in New York, Tiafoe and Fritz are back together to represent Team World at the Laver Cup. However, before the start of the event, the American No. 1 player went to the BOSS Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Show in Milan on September 18. Fritz, who represents the German brand, Hugo Boss, walked the ramp with his remarkable dark blue colored shirt and trousers with a green-colored overcoat.

His compatriot, Tiafoe, couldn’t help but appreciate it during the event’s press conference, saying, “No, he actually looked really good, actually. Pause. Pause. It’s crazy. No, he did really well, honestly. I wanted to clown him but couldn’t. He opened it up too, so that’s never easy. Obviously, you don’t know the direction you are going while you’re walking.”

Taylor Fritz and Tiafoe’s friendship has entertained fans for years, and as they both continue to reach new heights in the professional world, hopefully we will get to see more of their tense matches and fun banter!