Can Taylor Fritz win the Indian Wells title again?

Taylor Fritz fell to the bottom and put his arms on his head as he lay outstretched. He had simply defeated Rafael Nadal within the last on the 2022 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

Moments later, he cried as the group roared with admiration.

“Profitable this match is a kind of loopy childhood desires that you just actually suppose isn’t going to occur,” he mentioned as tears streamed down his face.

It was the largest victory in Fritz’s profession, propelling him to a then-career-high rating of No. 13 and cementing his spot because the top-ranked American man. He informed reporters later that afternoon that sharing the courtroom with Nadal, not to mention beating him, was “insane” and that his new objective was to achieve the highest 10.

That was three years in the past. And since then, Fritz has completed that and extra. Far more, actually.

Previous to the Indian Wells victory, he had by no means superior past the fourth spherical at a significant, however he has now appeared in 5 Grand Slam quarterfinals — and reached the ultimate on the US Open in September. To not point out, he has gained six extra tour titles, performed within the last on the 2024 ATP Finals, earned Olympic bronze on the 2024 Paris Video games in males’s doubles (alongside longtime good friend Tommy Paul) and is at the moment ranked a career-high No. 4.

Now Fritz, 27, is again on the BNP Paribas Open propelled by momentum and ambition — and starting with a title quest on the web site of his breakthrough.

“As soon as I attain a brand new milestone, it turns into a lot simpler for me to start out doing it time and again and once more, after which it is on to the subsequent factor,” Fritz informed ESPN lately. “That is all the time been the case for me. … The 12 months I had final 12 months, particularly on the finish of the 12 months, offers me a variety of confidence.

“Clearly the final word objective is to win a Grand Slam, however I am additionally actually targeted on desirous to win some [other] massive titles this 12 months.”

Whereas these targets would possibly sound daunting, excessive expectations are nothing new for Fritz. He discovered the sport from his mother Kathy, a former top-10 participant on the WTA Tour and three-time main quarterfinalist, and pa Gus, additionally knowledgeable participant and an achieved coach. After profitable the 2015 US Open boys title and reaching the highest rating amongst juniors, Fritz has lengthy been thought of one of many nation’s greatest hopes to snap the now 21-year males’s main title drought. And his early outcomes on tour solely fueled such optimism.

Fritz reached the ultimate within the third ATP match of his profession, at Memphis in 2016, and have become the youngest American man to achieve a tour last since Michael Chang in 1988. He cracked the highest 100 quickly after. He gained his first ATP title in 2019, on grass at Eastbourne, and made his top-25 debut the next month.

He notched his first Masters 1000-level semifinal look at Indian Wells in 2021, nevertheless it was his stunning triumph the next 12 months that basically modified every part. He had practically withdrawn from the ultimate with an ankle damage simply hours earlier than the match started, but turned a champion on the match he had grown up attending as a fan — and in opposition to one of many sport’s greats.

He needed extra.

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“I do not need to get forward of myself,” Fritz mentioned on the time. “I need to take issues one step at a time. My objective for the final couple months has been high 10. … Clearly I would like to go means greater than that and obtain far more than that. Like I mentioned, take it one step at a time, not get forward of myself, it is only one match. Return to work, by no means be happy with the nice outcomes. Simply preserve wanting extra.”

He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinals lower than 4 months later at Wimbledon.

Fritz gained two titles in 2023 and made his US Open quarterfinal debut. Then every part actually got here collectively final season. He gained Olympic bronze in males’s doubles, and have become the primary American man to make the second week at each main since Andre Agassi in 2003, reaching the quarterfinals at each the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the fourth spherical on the French Open and, in fact, the ultimate on the US Open.

He adopted it by ending the 12 months with one other last look on the ATP Finals.

“Reaching each of these finals simply gave me confidence and, I suppose, the reassurance and perception that I belong there and should be there,” Fritz mentioned.

The whole thing of his season, however significantly the top, firmly cemented Fritz’s standing as the highest American man. It additionally lit a hearth for the remainder of his compatriots, lots of whom are shut with each other.

“To see Fritz attain that [US Open] last was superior,” Paul, who has been a good friend since childhood and is ranked No. 11, informed ESPN. “We help one another endlessly. We’re so comfortable for one another. When one in all us [top Americans] does effectively in a match, [or] one in all us wins a match, all of us then know at the back of our head that we are able to do it too.

“I really feel like Fritz had been that man for all American tennis over the previous eight years or so. He has completely led the best way. Each era wants that man, and I feel it is superior it is him.”

One factor that hasn’t modified for Fritz? His stage of fame and his want — or lack thereof — for the highlight. Fritz, who spends a lot of his downtime enjoying video video games, mentioned he solely will get acknowledged by “true” tennis followers, though, he added, “I do not actually depart my place too typically.”

Fritz introduced his momentum and confidence into the season and instantly discovered much more success. Teaming up alongside Coco Gauff, amongst others, the duo led the American staff to the title on the United Cup. Fritz gained 4 of his 5 singles matches, together with within the last in opposition to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

Although Fritz hoped he would be capable to construct off 2024 in Melbourne for the 12 months’s first Slam, that did not precisely go to plan. He misplaced within the third spherical to Gael Monfils 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 6-4 and was handed his earliest main exit since 2023. Since then, he gained simply two mixed matches in Dallas and Delray Seashore and needed to withdraw forward of Acapulco with an stomach damage.

However Fritz mentioned he was removed from “panic mode,” and dedicated to staying the course.

“I felt actually assured [entering the new season]. I felt like I used to be enjoying good tennis, and I nonetheless suppose that,” Fritz mentioned. “The Australian Open loss does not actually harm me as unhealthy as I feel some losses would as a result of I nonetheless felt like I performed fairly effectively within the match. I did not essentially lose as a result of I did not play effectively. I misplaced as a result of my opponent performed very well, and that occurs typically.

“It is simple for me to maintain my confidence up and I do know that the outcomes and every part will come if I simply preserve enjoying.”

And Fritz hopes all of it comes collectively — his high-level of play and the outcomes — at Indian Wells as soon as once more.