Taylor Fritz has finally made it to the semifinals of a Grand Slam! After a long wait of 40-odd years, the semi-final curse of the Fritz family was broken against Alexander Zverev. After her mother Kathy May lost in the US Open quarter-final in 1978, nobody from the Fritz family had crossed the quarterfinal barrier and made it to the semis, before Fritz did it this year. While it’s largely because of his skills, Fritz’s on-the-court demeanor has also often helped him deal with pressure. He mostly remains calm and composed, with the occasional burst of energy. But what lies behind Taylor Fritz’s relaxed demeanor? His physiotherapist, Wolfgang Oswald, has detailed the hidden side of the World No.12.

One would think that Fritz would have celebrated a little bit after the quarterfinal. But going by his physiotherapist’s words, nothing other than the Grand Slam title can satisfy the American star. In an interview with ATP Tour dated September 6th, Oswald opened up about the ‘ultra-competitive’ side of Fritz. The American player has made it clear to his team: ‘I’m not celebrating, because it’s not over. I’m not happy.”

According to Oswald, Fritz’s competitive nature not only stems from tennis but from various settings. He said, “Video games, are ultra-competitive. We’re playing cards, ultra-competitive. Chess, ultra-competitive. Any type of social game, ultra-competitive.” Be it any game, even for fun, Fritz never lets his competitive spirit down. And this spirit flows into his tennis practice as well. Oswald further remarked, “If we’re doing drills on the court, [even] if there’s nothing riding on it. ‘Hey you’ve got to do assault bike sprints or push-ups’, then he’ll be ultra-competitive. So he’s very competitive at almost anything that he does.”

However, things don’t stop at just being competitive and winning. There are times when this competitive spirit of Fritz flows out in the form of rage, and he might even break a few video game controllers if he’s really at it. Oswald detailed an interesting incident that involved the World No.12 playing FIFA. “I remember he beat a professional FIFA player that we thought was professional based on his user name. I remember he was ultra-competitive, maybe even breaking a couple of controllers on his video game console because he was that competitive, truly heated when he would lose.”

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 8, 2024 Taylor Fritz of the U.S. celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Germany’s Alexander Zverev REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Fritz’s competitive spirit would, however, certainly aid him, as he gets ready to face his compatriot, Frances Tiafoe during the semi-finals of the US Open. Tiafoe’s climb up the ranking has pushed Fritz to get better. Oswald detailed how Tiafoe has influenced Fritz’s training schedule.

When Frances Tiafoe pushed Taylor Fritz to work harder

Rivals push each other all the time and Fritz and Tiafoe are no different. The two have known each other since their teenage years. However, Fritz was probably a bit laid back in his attitude towards practice. Things have changed now, as the World No.12 has raised his level, and some of the credit goes to Tiafoe’s climb in the rankings. Oswald talked about one particular instance that pushed Fritz to increase his work rate.

“Frances and him have pushed each other. His training volume went up when Frances hit 30-something in the world the first time, and then Fritz overtook him, and then Frances got better,” Oswald remarked. Well, Fritz and Tiafoe might be buddies, but, “neither one wants to lose the other guy, I can tell you that.”

Fritz is bent on keeping his momentum going, as he is looking to become the first American man to lift the US Open title in over two decades. No American has clinched the men’s singles title at Flushing Meadows since 2003, when Andy Roddick did it.

Having lost several quarters before, Fritz knows that the job is not done yet, even though he has gone one step further this time and entered the semis. While it will be two friends battling for a spot in the finals, the fans can anticipate an intense encounter. Who do you think will make it to the finals? Do let us know in the comments!