GB's Hewett beaten in Paralympic final thriller
Alfie Hewett loses a thrilling Paralympic wheelchair tennis men’s singles final to Tokito Oda having held a gold-medal point.
Alfie Hewett loses a thrilling Paralympic wheelchair tennis men’s singles final to Tokito Oda having held a gold-medal point.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson atoned for their Wimbledon championship heartbreak in style on Saturday at the US Open, where they captured their first major title together.
The Australians squandered three championship points in the Wimbledon final in July but were not to be disappointed in New York, where they moved past Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4, 7-6(4).
Purcell and Thompson recovered from squandering two championship points at 5-3 in the second set, eventually closing out in a nervy tie-break after one hour and 36 minutes to become the first Australian men to win the doubles crown since Todd Woodbridge won with Swede Jonas Bjorkman in 2003.
Earlier this year, they won titles in Dallas, Los Cabos and Houston and impressed at Flushing Meadows, where they dropped just one set en route to the title. They also fell agonisingly short in the Wimbledon final in July when they squandered three championships points in their defeat to Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, but did not let that defeat haunt them in New York, improving to 37-6 in 2024.
“Being a Grand Slam champion has a great ring to it,” Thompson said. “Especially after the heartbreak at Wimbledon. It got a little bit tense with match points at the end. We stuck with it and we got there.”
[ATP APP]Purcell and Thompson, who saved two match points in their second-round win, have climbed five spots to third in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Rankings following their victory and in their first full season together are hoping to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.
Purcell, 26, has won two major doubles titles, having triumphed at Wimbledon in 2022 with Matthew Ebden. Thompson, 30, was competing in his second Grand Slam final after losing in London this year.
Krawietz and Puetz are sixth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Rankings. The Germans earned a dramatic semi-final win against Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic but were unable to produce more magic in their first major final together as a team.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Jack Draper says being sick on court in his US Open semi-final defeat was “the worst feeling ever”, but he believes Grand Slam success is “just a matter of time”.
Taylor Fritz is closing in on history at the US Open. The 26-year-old will become the first American man to win a major title since Andy Roddick in 2003 if he triumphs in the final on Sunday in New York, ending a 21-year wait.
The 12th seed battled hard to overcome countryman Frances Tiafoe in five sets in the semi-finals and also defeated seeds Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud to reach his maiden Grand Slam final. However, his biggest test is to come, with the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Jannik Sinner, standing in his way between glory.
Sinner has been the man to beat in 2024 and is set to compete in his second major final on Sunday. The Italian clinched his first Slam crown at the Australian Open in January and holds a perfect 5-0 record in tour-level finals in 2024.
The 23-year-old moved past 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarters in New York and then beat British lefty Jack Draper in the semi-finals to earn his 11th consecutive win, having captured his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last month. In his match against Draper, Sinner suffered a scare when he fell on his left wrist in the second set. However, the top seed hopes the issue won’t harm his chances in the final.
“The physio loosened it up very fast on court, so after I felt okay in the beginning. Then after it went away by playing, which is good,” Sinner said in his post-match press conference on Friday. “Let’s see how it is [Saturday] when it’s cold. It’s going to be a different feeling. Hopefully is nothing to concern about. I’m quite relaxed, because if it’s something bad, you feel it straightaway a bit more.”
Fritz had lost at the quarter-final stage at a major four times before his run this fortnight but is now playing with the belief that he can go all the way. The 26-year-old, who is the first American man to reach a major final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009, is determined to end the 21-year wait for an American Grand Slam champion and believes he can trouble Sinner.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing him,” said Fritz. “To be honest, I don’t think that I’m going to be put in a more stressful situation than I was today than playing in a final. I think today was much more stressful for me than playing the final. I just feel good,” Fritz said. “I have a feeling I’m going to come out and play really well and win. When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.”
American men US Open champions (since 1990)
| Andy Roddick | 2003 |
| Pete Sampras | 2002 |
| Andre Agassi | 1999 |
| Pete Sampras | 1996 |
| Pete Sampras | 1995 |
| Andre Agassi | 1994 |
| Pete Sampras | 1993 |
| Pete Sampras | 1990 |
The American and Italian are locked at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with both of their previous meetings coming on hard courts in Indian Wells. Fritz will be hoping to use the home crowd to his advantage when the pair walk onto the 23,000-seater Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT and the American reflected on the positive state of American tennis ahead of the title match.
“I think it gives hope and shows that we’re knocking on the door of winning a Slam, and we have this generation, this group of guys where there’s four or five of us that are actually at this level,” Fritz said, referencing Top 20 stars Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton.
“I mean, it shows that we’re all moving in the right direction. I think that whenever one of us does something, the others follow, and the others get belief from it. I think this is just the start for all of us.”
Sinner vs. Fritz Lexus ATP Head2Head series
| Year | Result | Event |
| 2023 | Sinner d. Fritz | Indian Wells QF |
| 2021 | Fritz d. Sinner | Indian Wells R4 |
On Sunday, the full focus of the United States will be on Fritz, who will have to serve well and be aggressive from the baseline to hit through Sinner, who defends well out of the corners and can cause anyone problems with his weight and depth of shot.
Sinner has become accustomed to the big occasion in 2024, with no player earning more titles this year. Currently 54-5 on the season, the 23-year-old is relishing the opportunity to take on an American in New York.
“Being in America for sure, the crowd will be a little bit more on [his] side. But it’s normal. It’s like when I play in Italy, so I’m going to accept that,” Sinner said. “I have my team and my people who are close to me. In my mind, I know that there are many people watching from home from Italy, and it’s just take some support from them.”
[ATP APP]By reaching the final, Sinner has taken command in the battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The Italian is currently 2,185 points clear of second-placed Alexander Zverev in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Sinner will take a 2,885-point lead if he wins the title.
The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion is the first Italian man to reach the title match in New York and is aiming to become the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first and second Grand Slam titles in the same season.
With experience on Sinner’s side, Fritz will hope momentum can help him in his quest to defeat the top seed. The American, who captured the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells in 2022, was overjoyed after reaching the final on Friday night.
“It hit me when he [Eubanks] said the thing about how I’m in the finals and the crowd was cheering,” Fritz said. “It’s just kind of like how I am. I’m more of an emotional person when I’m happy. When I’m really happy I cry at happy endings of movies and not at sad stuff. That’s kind of just how I am.
“It’s just joy, the crowd cheering and kind of that realisation, like ‘Wow, I’m in the finals of the US Open. It’s such a lifelong dream come true. Something I’ve worked my whole life for to be in this situation.”
Read more ahead of the 2024 US Open final
Sinner takes ‘wait-and-see’ approach with wrist
Fritz on reaching final: ‘It is a lifelong dream come true’
Sinner shakes off wrist scare to down Draper, reaches final
Fritz rallies past Tiafoe to reach first Grand Slam final at US Open
Taylor Fritz: Inside the American’s rise & competitive spirit
Fritz is up five spots to No. 7 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after advancing to his fourth tour-level final of the season and is also in strong contention for qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. The American is fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and would jump to fourth with victory.
In what is set to be a blockbuster match on Sunday, can Fritz end the 21-year American wait for a male major titlist, or will Sinner show the form he has all year and produce ‘lock-down mode’ to clinch his sixth title of 2024?
For more information on how to watch the final in New York from 2 p.m. EDT/ 8 p.m. CET. on Sunday, click here.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Chasing history, American Taylor Fritz will face No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Jannik Sinner in the US Open final in New York at 2 p.m. EDT/ 8 p.m. CET. on Sunday on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fritz is aiming to become the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2003, while he is the first American man to compete in a Slam final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
On the other side of the net, Sinner will try to clinch his second major, having lifted the Australian Open trophy in January. The pair enter the final locked at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
For more information on how to watch the final, click here.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Frances Tiafoe was not quick to shy away from his feelings on Friday following his devastating five-set defeat to countryman Taylor Fritz at the US Open.
The American, who was competing in his second major semi-final, led 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, but ultimately fell short. Tiafoe struggled with cramping in the deciding set and was unable to drag himself across the finish line.
“It’s really, really tough. Really, really tough to swallow. This one is going to hurt really, really bad,” Tiafoe said in his post-match press conference. “I thought I was the better player for sure. In the fourth, I don’t know, I just had some in-and-out cramps. I just felt my body kind of shut down on me.
“It probably had a lot to do with nerves. I wasn’t tired at all. Just, to get into the final, probably the closest I was obviously when I played [Carlos] Alcaraz I was hanging for dear life to go five. Here I was really in a position to win. I was almost able to be in that position.
“I have been feeling unbelievable physically. But also it could be a testament to how many matches I’ve played in the short time and I haven’t played that many matches all year like that. Ultimately, I think nerves got the better of me tonight.”
Tiafoe drank fluids and salts during the changeovers in the fourth and fifth sets but they ultimately did not help him overcome Fritz, who is aiming to become the first American to win a major since Andy Roddick in 2003.
“I tried to give everything for the fifth set. I tried a bunch of different things. I had a bunch of pickle juice, I was gargling and spitting it out. I was eating, doing kind of everything I could,” Tiafoe said. “Obviously just trying to give it one last shot, right? It was the fifth set of a semis of a slam, try to give it everything you got. Sometimes it’s not meant to be.”
[ATP APP]With his run to the semis, Tiafoe has climbed four spots to No. 16 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is up to 14th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, keeping alive an outside chance of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.
In time, the 26-year-old believes he can take the positives from his run.
“For a really, really long time, obviously this is going to hurt. I’m going to turn the page, I’m going to try to end the year strong. I’m going to go to Asia, do the whole thing, do it the right way,” said Tiafoe, who also reached the final in Cincinnati last month. “I’m going to go to Laver Cup and compete. I’m going to let this sting, but I’m going to learn from this. I’m going to work really hard. I’m going be in these positions again, for sure. Just hoping for a different outcome.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Delight, pride, relief. All emotions which were evident on Taylor Fritz’s face Friday night at the US Open after he reached his first major final. Following his epic five-set win against countryman Frances Tiafoe, the American opened up on the joy he was feeling following the biggest victory of his career.
“It hit me when he [Eubanks] said the thing about how I’m in the finals and the crowd was cheering,” Fritz said in his post-match press conference. “It’s just kind of like how I am. I’m more of an emotional person when I’m happy. When I’m really happy I cry at happy endings of movies and not at sad stuff. That’s kind of just how I am.
“It’s just joy, the crowd cheering and kind of that realisation, like ‘Wow, I’m in the finals of the US Open. It’s such a lifelong dream come true. Something I’ve worked my whole life for to be in this situation. I think just kind of like realising that got me a little bit choked up.”
Fritz is now just one win away from ending the United States’ 21-year wait for a male major singles champion. The last man to do so was Andy Roddick at Flushing Meadows in 2003.
Fritz is excited about the current state of American tennis, with Friday’s opponent Tiafoe as well as Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, Ben Shelton all inside the Top 17 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
“I think it gives hope and shows that we’re knocking on the door of winning a Slam, and we have this generation, this group of guys where there’s four or five of us that are actually at this level,” Fritz said.
“I mean, it shows that we’re all moving in the right direction. I think that whenever one of us does something, the others follow, and the others get belief from it. I think this is just the start for all of us.”
[ATP APP]Fritz battled hard against Tiafoe and was staring defeat in the face when he trailed 4-6, 7-5, 4-6 in front of an electric crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, the 12th seed dug deep and turned the match around.
Fritz, who is up five spots to No. 7 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, is pleased with the resilience he showed.
“I think one thing that’s never been in question is just like my heart and how I’m always going to compete no matter what,” said Fritz, who leads Tiafoe 7-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“What I just kept telling myself was just to keep fighting and to keep working, and if I don’t give it everything I have and just lock in as much as I possibly can, I’m going to regret it forever… I had to stay with him in some of those really long, crazy rallies, because I wanted to show him that I wasn’t going to go away, that I was feeling fit and I was going to keep running for everything and fighting for every point.”
On Sunday, Fritz will be the first American man to compete in a major final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner stands between Fritz and glory, but the 26-year-old is feeling confident about his chances.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing him. To be honest, I don’t think that I’m going to be put in a more stressful situation than I was today than playing in a final. I think today was much more stressful for me than playing the final. I just feel good,” Fritz said. “I have a feeling I’m going to come out and play really well and win. When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.”
Sinner and Fritz are tied at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The final will take place on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday from 2 p.m. EDT/ 8 p.m. CET.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Taylor Fritz becomes the first American man in 15 years to reach a Grand Slam singles final as he beats compatriot Frances Tiafoe at the US Open.
Taylor Fritz is one win away from ending the United States’ 21-year-wait for a male Grand Slam singles champion.
The 12th seed rallied past longtime friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday evening to reach his first major final at the US Open. Andy Roddick triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Now Fritz will have a chance to earn his own Grand Slam glory on Sunday when he takes on top seed Jannik Sinner for the trophy.
“It’s the reason I do what I do, the reason why I work so hard. I’m in the finals of the US Open,” Fritz said as he teared up. “It’s a dream come true and I’m going to give it everything I possibly have. I know that for a fact.”
Through to the biggest final of his career 🤩@Taylor_Fritz97 knocks out Tiafoe 4-6 7-5 4-6 6-4 6-1.@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/CyQGm1CbWq
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 7, 2024
The 26-year-old arrived in New York with one win across ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati. But that has not proven a problem for Fritz, who is the first American male to make a major singles final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
The golden opportunity at his home Slam seemed to be slipping away. After winning the second set under the New York lights, Tiafoe, who does as well as anyone on Tour to use the crowd to his advantage, harnessed the atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium to take control of the match.
The three-time ATP Tour titlist was preventing Fritz from dominating the action with his power and was two games from making his own history. With tennis legends in the stands including Roddick, Stan Smith and Tracy Austin, as well as celebrities ranging from Travis Scott and Fat Joe to basketball players Tyrese Maxey and John Wall, Tiafoe also enjoyed most of the crowd’s support.
But after nine games without a break point in the fourth set, Tiafoe badly mishit a forehand to suddenly give Fritz a set point, and then missed a forehand drop shot — one of several poor drop shots in the match — to send the clash into a deciding set.
Fritz seized the momentum and never looked back. The 12th seed hit a big backhand return, which Tiafoe was unable to handle, in his first return game of the fifth set to break. Although he let slip a double-break advantage with a double fault later on, that proved a momentary blip.
If the fifth-placed player in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin is one thing, he is a relentless competitor. He does not have the flare of Tiafoe nor does he show the same level of emotion. But Fritz always battles back.
[ATP APP]After losing his first four major quarter-finals, including two earlier this year, Fritz broke his duck against two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion and 2020 US Open finalist Alexander Zverev three days ago. Despite the deficit against Tiafoe, who was opportunistic to convert four of his five break points, Fritz never showed signs of panic, even if he was overwhelmed on the inside.
“I felt I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I was just getting overwhelmed,” Fritz said. “I was freaking out a little bit and [coach Michael Russell] told me to keep doing what I was doing, accept it was okay and keep making him do it. That helped to calm me down and let me know I was doing the right thing.”
The eight-time ATP Tour titlist continued to play hard and won 25 of the 34 points in the deciding set, claiming eight of the final nine games to triumph in three hours and 18 minutes.
“He was overwhelming from the baseline so much, taking the ball so early, changing lines so well,” Fritz said of Tiafoe’s aggressive approach. “I just told myself to try to stay in it, fight to hold my serve and apply scoreboard pressure as much as possible.”
Fritz will take a 1-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head record into his showdown with Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam title earlier this year at the Australian Open. He earned the opportunity with a courageous comeback in the biggest moment of his career.
Fritz said: “I told myself if I didn’t give it absolutely everything I had and stick with it and see if his level might drop a little bit, I would regret it for a long time.”
Tiafoe began his season with a 19-18 record. But since arriving in Cincinnati, he has reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final and second US Open semi-final to improve to 29-20.
Did You Know?
This was the first all-American men’s singles semi-final at a major since Andre Agassi beat Robby Ginepri at the US Open in 2003.
Jack Draper lost a hard-fought battle to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the US Open on Friday. But he was happy with his run in New York and had positive takeaways from his first semi-final at a Grand Slam tournament, despite the 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-2.
“When I came here last year I was 120 in the world, barely played the whole season. I think I’ll be leaving here this week Top 20,” he said. “I’m breaking new barriers down the whole time of what I think is possible.”
The 22-year-old Brit had not dropped a set before the semi-finals. He became the first man since Daniil Medvedev in 2020 to do so. Despite battling the pressure and New York’s muggy conditions, he left everything on the court, even as he struggled physically against the World No. 1.
“I think it was obviously a very physical match. Obviously, that’s why Jannik is the No. 1 player in the world because when you play the top players, the intensity is different… it’s a step up,” he shared.
“I think obviously it’s a big occasion for me. I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around.”
[ATP APP]Visibly hampered by the conditions on Arthur Ashe, he vomited thrice during the match and received a medical timeout in the second set. The Brit acknowledged that the pressure contributed to his physical discomfort, but that the thought of tapping out of the match didn’t enter his mind.
“No, no, no, I’m not going to retire in the semis of a Grand Slam,” he said. “I know the last set, it probably looked liked from courtside or on TV that it was not a great look. But at the end of the day, I always try and give my best
“I’m definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. I think when you add all that together sometimes I do feel a bit nausea on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough.
“I didn’t have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up.”
After the match, Draper was all praise for his good friend Sinner, who will play for his second Grand Slam title of the season against American No. 20 Frances Tiafoe or No. 12 Taylor Fritz. The 22-year-old had won their only previous meeting at the cinch Championships in 2021.
“Jannik’s got huge experience already. The reason why he’s No. 1 in the world (and) barely losing matches is because he’s so consistent. His intensity, his ball speed, he has barely got any weaknesses, and he’s just able to be there point by point and raise his level when he needs to.
“Mentally, physically, emotionally, everything’s constantly improving, and he’s rock solid in all areas. He’s tough to beat.”
After an inspiring run to the semi-finals, Draper has risen to a career-high No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He became the first Brit to reach the semi-finals of the US Open since Andy Murray clinched the title in 2012.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]