Taylor Fritz seeks to be first American man since 2003 to win major singles title, faces No. 1 Jannik Sinner in US Open final

The last time an American man won a major singles title, George W. Bush was still in his first term as US president, Myspace had just launched and Tom Brady had one Super Bowl win.

The last time an American man won a grand slam singles title, George W. Bush was still in his first term as US president, Myspace had just launched and Tom Brady only had one Super Bowl victory to his name. Now, Taylor Fritz, who was just 5 years old when Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003, has an opportunity to complete another American victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium when he takes on world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the men’s singles final on Sunday. Fritz, the world No. 12, will step out onto court as the underdog but has displayed imperious form on his run to the final, dispatching with Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud before defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. “It’s the reason I do what I do, the reason why I work so hard. I’m in the final of the US Open,” he said tearfully after winning his semifinal. “It’s a dream come true and I’m going to give it everything I possibly have. I know that for a fact.” Before this tournament, Fritz had never made it past a grand slam quarterfinal, losing his first four matches at that stage of a major. Whatever happens in the final, he is guaranteed to reenter the top 10 of the ATP rankings, and if he wins the title he will rise to world No. 6. Sinner is making history of his own on his run in New York. He is the first Italian man to reach the US Open men’s singles final and is seeking to become the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win both his first and second grand slam titles in the same season.