Taylor Fritz is the only American male left standing in the singles draw. The weight of American expectation is a heavy burden that he must shoulder as he continues forward. Fritz dispatched [21] Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Unfortunately, it will not be an easy next round for the American. [4] Taylor Fritz will have to do the impossible, defeat [7] Novak Djokovic, if he wants a chance to get back to the final of the US Open. There is a lot of pressure already as Fritz has a lot of points to defend from getting to the final last year. He can take inspiration from the knowledge that he has pushed the Serbian to five sets at the Australian Open in 2021 and also took a set from him in 2024.

Taylor Fritz Needs A More Effective Plan

I am sure with Paul Annacone on his team, they have analyzed his ten losses to the Serbian. At this stage, it has to be in his head that he is 0:10 against the Serbian. Perhaps this will be the year that he gets that monkey off his back. I am not convinced he can, because he has been a bit erratic with his results on the hard courts. Yet, this is tennis, and anything is possible if you believe. Therefore, the question is, “Does Taylor Fritz believe he can beat Novak Djokovic this time around?”

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[4] Jessica Pegula was the first one into the quarterfinals of the 2025 US Open. Unfortunately, she defeated another American, Ann Li, to get there. Pegula won 6-1, 6-2.

Marketa Vondrousova Gets The Upset Of The Day

Marketa Vondrousova is making a statement that she is ready to reclaim her spot in the top ten following a shoulder injury in 2024; yet, she has struggled with injuries throughout her career. In the second half of the 2022 season, she was hampered with injury issues. In September 2023, the Czech player was ranked number six. If she can avoid injuries going forward, she will be a force to be reckoned with.

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Although she only has three singles titles to her name, one of those is the Championships Wimbledon title in 2023. She was also a finalist in the Olympics and Roland Garros. Therefore, do not be surprised that she was able to defeat [9] Elena Rybakina. Marketa Vondrousova plays extremely on every surface. The Czech won 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

IMAGES COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES (except for images of Paul Annacone and Taylor Fritz – serveandrally originals)