American tennis fans finally had something to shout about at the Paris Olympics. After a disappointing campaign from the women, men managed to clinch the silver and bronze medals at the doubles event of the Games. Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek secured the second spot, while Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz duo beat Czech Republic’s Adam Pavlásek and Tomas Machac by 6-3,6-4 in the bronze medal match. Both Fritz and Paul looked quite ecstatic after this emphatic victory. Several other tennis stars came out in numbers to congratulate them on their recent success. America’s CoCo Vandeweghe became a bit emotional over the success of her childhood friends.

The 32-year-old American former professional tennis player, who won the 2018 US Open doubles title, recently appeared on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast. Vandeweghe, Steve Weissman, and Paul Annacone covered all the highlights from Championship Sunday in Washington. The team dissected Paula Badosa’s hard-fought victory and build anticipation for the men’s showdown between Sebastian Korda and Flavio Cobolli. How come they don’t reflect back on Olympics?

Weissman kicked off the discussion on doubles triumphs by asking Vandeweghe and Annacone about Fritz and Paul’s bronze medal win. While the Paul said “they did a terrific job”, CoCo, being emotional on the medal coming home, said, “I just love the photo of I think when they were at the US Open and then winning the bronze medal. I mean that’s what it means in the tennis world of how long you’re with each other, especially the Americans growing up together, playing against each other, and now getting the chance to have that special moment together. I think that’s gonna live a lifetime with both of them.”

After the match, the doubles duo spoke to the media. While Fritz said it was quite “cool” to get this victory, Paul reflected, “It’s been amazing. For us to do it together and bring a medal back, it means everything. We’ve been as close as it gets since we were 14-15 years old. So, just being on the same team together was super special, but to bring something back to the States means everything.”

Fritz took part in three events, while Paul played two at the Paris Olympics. It was a dream for them to bring a medal and now, their smiles show us how excited are they with this result. This is, in fact, the first time in almost 120 years that Team USA has won two men’s doubles medals at the same time in the Olympics. Not everyone gets the chance to live this dream! Interestingly, Fritz and Vandeweghe share a deeper bond beyond their shared nationality.

Did you know Fritz’s father was Vandeweghe’s coach in her junior days?

Vandeweghe’s mother was an Olympian (swimmer), so she always dreamt of playing at the Olympics. She fulfilled her dreams in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but she failed to bring home a medal. That’s exactly why I mentioned earlier, not everyone gets the chance to stand at the podiums with their national flags wrapped around their shoulders. Vandeweghe first started playing at the age of 11 with her brother, Beau. Fritz’s father, Guy Fritz, was among her first coaches in the racquet sport.

Guy was also a player himself on the ATP Tour and reached a career-high ranking of 301 during his playing days. However, his major successes came in his coaching career. He guided his son to reach the Top 10 and also helped him reach four Grand Slam QFs. Fritz’s father has helped Vandeweghe in developing her game during the early stages of her career.

Reflecting on the contributions of his father in shaping the careers of these junior players, Fritz said, “My dad is obviously an amazing coach. He completely developed both of our games from the start to when we basically turned pro.” Fritz further added, “He is a great service coach. You look at both of our games (and) serves is a huge focal point in our game.”

His father now must be extremely proud after seeing him bringing a medal for the nation. Share your thoughts too on this incredible performance of the men’s doubles team.