Andre Agassi on rising tennis stars like Alcaraz and legends like Nadal
Andre Agassi talks about the new era in men’s tennis and the talent coming out of America. Agassi also talks about how technology from IBM is improving the fan experience.
NEW YORK — It’s been 21 years since an American won a Grand Slam singles title, but could that losing streak end at the U.S. Open?
Both Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe reached the quarterfinals on Sunday, and Tommy Paul is hoping it will be a trio when he faces No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner in the round of 16 on Monday. In a US Open draw that was wide open when Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic lost early, the idea of an American breaking through for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2003 doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
“I think we all push each other and make each other better,” Fritz said Sunday after beating No. 8 seed Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Tiafoe, seeded 20th and coming off a largely disappointing year, reached his third consecutive US Open quarterfinal after defeating 28 players 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.th-seeded Alexei Popyrin. Considering Tiafoe has only reached one other Grand Slam quarterfinal, at the 2019 Australian Open, that’s a remarkable streak in a tournament he hopes to win one day. Tiafoe will face No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing on this court since I was a kid. I’ve always hit the wall and I want to compete on this court,” Tiafoe said in his on-court interview. “It brings out the best in me.”
Fritz, seeded 12th, has been the highest-ranked American in recent years. His win on Sunday put him in the quarterfinals for the fifth time in his last 10 Grand Slams. The problem for Fritz has been getting past that round. On Tuesday he will face fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev, whom he defeated in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
“In the past, I’ve always been very, very excited and happy when I’ve made it to the quarterfinals of Grand Slam tournaments,” Fritz said. “I think I’m at the point now where I’m still happy if I’ve made it to the quarterfinals, but I wouldn’t be happy if it ended here. I really want more than that.”
“The success at the Grand Slam tournaments was nice, but I’m a bit fed up with always only reaching the quarterfinals and I want to move on.”
