The player currently ranked fifth globally, Taylor Fritz, harbors a strong desire to secure his inaugural Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. However, he recognizes that achieving this goal on the grass courts, with formidable competitors like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic still in contention, will require him to perform at his absolute peak throughout the remainder of the tournament.
Fritz stands as one of the few American players who navigated the initial two rounds in London, amidst a series of setbacks for many. Following a pair of grueling five-set matches, Fritz benefited from a much-needed respite on Thursday. This break precedes his third-round encounter with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday, a consequence of being on the court for three successive days due to lengthy matches.
“I believe I have engaged in considerable tennis, encompassing four consecutive matches in Eastbourne, a solitary day of rest preceding a match extending over two days here, and now this… I am certainly due for a pleasant, relaxing day,” Fritz commented.
Wimbledon has proven to be far from tranquil for the American contingent, with only Fritz and No. 29 Brandon Nakashima remaining in the men’s bracket. The situation for 10th-seeded Ben Shelton is pending. This follows disappointing performances from several other seeded players who anticipated better outcomes in the second round, including Francis Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.
After progressing comfortably through his initial two matches in straight sets, Paul succumbed to Sebastian Ofner with scores of 6-1, 5-7, 4-6, 5-7. Paul had previously reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon the previous year and expressed confidence leading up to the tournament, despite his absence from the ATP 500 event at The Queen’s Club the preceding month. This absence was due to his team devising a strategy to address an abdominal injury sustained at the French Open.
Similar to Paul, Tiafoe secured the first set of his second-round match against Cameron Norrie with relative ease, before yielding the subsequent three on Wednesday. Norrie’s serve proved insurmountable for Tiafoe, who had recently achieved a quarterfinal appearance in Paris.
“I don’t believe (Norrie) has served with such proficiency in quite some time,” Tiafoe remarked. “He was landing serves at 75%, which is frankly absurd. I barely managed to glimpse a second serve. I attempted to reposition myself slightly, but I was astonished by the effectiveness of his serving today. I have never witnessed him serve in that manner.”
Additional American men who experienced defeats in the second round include Marcos Giron, Reilly Opelka (to Nakasima), Ethan Quinn (in straight sets to Majchrzak), Learner Tien, and Jenson Brooksby. Andy Roddick remains the last American male to compete in Wimbledon’s singles final, a feat he accomplished in 2009.
Early Exits for USA’s Prominent Female Players
The second-ranked player globally and French Open champion, Coco Gauff, alongside third-seeded Jess Pegula, were among the seven American women who encountered first-round losses. Overall, four of the top five seeds were eliminated during the initial three days in London, encompassing defending finalist Jasmine Paolini.
Gauff entered the tournament positioned as one of the favorites, trailing only top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, whom she had defeated in Paris. However, she struggled to establish her rhythm and expressed feeling “mentally overwhelmed” during the week, following a straight-sets defeat to Dayana Yastremska.
Gauff struggled by committing nine double faults and accumulating 29 unforced errors.
“When I am capable of serving effectively, which occurred in certain games, it undeniably presents an added advantage,” Gauff stated. “However, my serving was not up to par.”
Sabalenka represents the sole remaining top-five seed in the bracket and poses the most significant obstacle for America in reaching the final—and ultimately winning—next week.
Sixth-seeded Madison Keys, No. 10 Emma Navarro, and No. 13 Amanda Anisimova represent the highest-seeded players remaining for the United States, while Hailey Baptiste and Danielle Collins also remain in contention, with third-round matches scheduled for Friday.
Keys is striving to secure a spot in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the second instance in her career. She triumphed at the Australian Open earlier in the year, marking her inaugural major victory. Next, she faces No. 104-ranked Laura Siegemund, an opponent she has encountered twice previously.
“She invariably presents a challenging matchup,” Keys remarked regarding her upcoming third-round opponent. “I find her to be exceptionally crafty, and I believe the grass surface accentuates that aspect of her game. I also think that all of her attributes become even more potent as weapons. You are aware that you will rarely encounter the same ball twice. Consequently, if you approach the match seeking any semblance of rhythm, you will be unsuccessful. I believe that simply acknowledging that entering the match constitutes half the battle, and then formulating a robust game plan for addressing each individual ball directed at you is paramount.”
Navarro has yet to secure a major title and reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon the previous year. Anisimova possesses a single quarterfinal appearance during the only Grand Slam contested on grass, which occurred in 2022.
Navarro and Baptiste are slated to clash in the fourth round, contingent upon both securing victories. Collins faces the most daunting opponent among the Americans in her upcoming match against Poland’s Ira Swiatek, a prominent contender in the pre-tournament predictions. Swiatek boasts five major titles, with her most recent Grand Slam triumph occurring at the French Open the previous year.
