Can Taylor Fritz break the jinx and become the first American man to win a major title since Andy Roddick (2003)? Well, Fritz has already broken one record, he has ended America’s 15-year-old long wait with his maiden Grand Slam final appearance. Fans are now keeping their fingers crossed for the big one! His opponent in the finals of the 2024 US Open, Jannik Sinner can also become the first Italian to win the US Open singles title. So there’s a lot at stake in this high-voltage! Looking at the form Sinner’s form in 2024, beating him is surely going to be a mammoth task. 

Taylor Fritz vs Jannik Sinner: Preview

Fritz has already won two titles in the 2024 season (Delray Beach Open and Eastbourne International). Here in NY, he started his campaign with three comfortable victories. However, in the R16, Taylor Fritz faced a tough battle from Casper Ruud and it was followed by yet another thrilling four-setter against Alexander Zverev. However, the biggest challenge for him at this tournament was beating his compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the SF. Fritz took five sets (4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1) to beat ‘Big Foe’.

Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, has started his season in style by clinching his first major title in his career in Melbourne. After that, the 23-year-old Italian won four other titles before taking his flight to NY. Over here, Sinner made a shaky start against America’s Mackenzie McDonald, however, he slowly gained momentum in the next three matches. Then again, in the QF, he faced a tough fight against Daniil Medvedev. He took four sets to beat the Russian, but comparatively, his SF match was a bit easier.

Fritz vs Sinner: Head-to-Head

Top-ranked Sinner takes on the home favorite Fritz. Sinner has a chance to become the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first two major titles in the same season. He’s keen to step onto the courts to play this mega-final. Both of them know their strengths and weaknesses very well, but how many times have they crossed each other’s roads? Well, currently their H2H is well poised at 1-1 and this is exactly why this contest becomes more interesting.

• 2021 Indian Wells Masters R16: Fritz 6-4,6-3.
• 2023 Indian Wells Masters QF: Sinner 6-4,4-6,6-4.

Prediction: Sinner to win in four sets

The numbers from their previous meetings show us this match has all the ingredients to go deep. Both the players have already set the tempo in this match with their comments. Fritz said, “It’s been a while since we played, but last time he got me in three at Indian Wells. I don’t know, he hits the ball big, he’s like a very strong ball striker, but I feel like I always hit the ball really nice off of his ball.” While Jannik Sinner admitted that he’s quite aware of the pressure that the crowd will be trying to put on him in this epic final. He has “accepted” that challenge!

Sinner (1) has a win-loss record of 55-7 this season, while on the other hand, Taylor Fritz (12) has a win-loss record of 42-16. So, clearly, the numbers are favoring the Italian at the moment. However, if we look at their playing styles, Fritz is more of an offensive baseliner with venomous groundstrokes that can easily force errors out of his opponents. His biggest weapons are his serves and his powerful and consistent forehands. Do you know Fritz has hit 76 aces in his six matches at the 2024 US Open? 

Having said that, let me also tell you that Fritz’s backhands are also more than capable of putting Sinner into real trouble. His backhands are generally a bit flatter and lower bouncing. Fritz also has a unique ability to create sharp-angled cross-court shots on both the backhand and forehand sides. Jannik Sinner needs to watch out for his incredible topspin lobs as well before making up his mind to rush to the nets. 

If we now take a look at Sinner’s playing style, he’s an aggressive baseliner. The Italian is one of the hardest hitters on the Tour and his biggest strength is his two-handed backhand. He can hit this shot with more topspin than any other player on the Tour. Apart from that, Sinner also has an incredible ability to bring variation into his game. Be it serve-and-volley, slices, or even drop shots, perfection is the key to success for this calm and composed ‘predator’!

Will Taylor Fritz’s mantra of winning the race by hitting the ace work against the world number one? Well, looking at the current form of Jannik Sinner, it looks a bit unlikely at the moment!