The US Open looms on the horizon, the grand finale of the tennis calendar—the stage where legends are made and dreams catch fire under those iconic New York lights. But before the frenzy reaches Flushing Meadows, the spotlight turns to the lead-up tournaments, the ultimate battlegrounds where nerves are tested and momentum is everything. Right now, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner catching their breath after an epic grass campaign at Wimbledon, a brand-new storyline brews—and Taylor Fritz is at its center!

The Tennis Channel Live Podcast has dialed up the energy as the National Bank Open hits full throttle. Montreal is buzzing with bold predictions for the round of 16. Nicolas Pereira, a former pro, joined Steve Weissman and Jon Wertheim to stir the pot. Pereira put Fritz’s powerful game front and center, reminding everyone how he picked the American as his Wimbledon dark horse. After Fritz’s breakthrough run to the semifinals—his best ever—Pereira’s respect for the American was unmistakable!

Jon Wertheim jumped in, tossing a little spice into the conversation: “There’s a defending champion who just won Wimbledon, who might have a thing or two to say about that. There’s another kid from Spain, but no, I think Taylor Fritz, he’s put himself in the conversation and that’s half the battle. He knows this and Steve, he told us flatly. He knows he still needs to figure out that Sinner-Alcaraz rhythm but I think he’s up to it. I don’t think that’s a crazy call at all.” There’s some real truth there!

Let’s talk about Sinner and Alcaraz. The two titans have owned the biggest stages this year. Sinner grabbed the Wimbledon trophy after snapping Carlos’ 24-match grass streak, while Alcaraz grabbed a jaw-dropping five-and-a-half-hour win over the Italian in the French Open final. That marathon battle went down as the longest French Open title match ever. Those two? Pure box office.

Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, has been on his own rollercoaster. The 2025 season launched with a bang—a United Cup title for Team USA—and Fritz hasn’t slowed down. He entered the Grand Slams ranked world No. 4, stormed to his first Wimbledon semifinal, and made the Miami Open semis with some edge-of-your-seat wins. Taylor sits at the No. 4 rank with 32 wins, 13 losses, and two singles titles.

His improvements shine brightest on serve. Taylor’s hammered out 526 aces this season—an average of 8 per match—and has locked down nearly 80% of his first-serve points. That kind of serving power has made him one of the hardest players to break on tour. Factor in his relentless aggression and new confidence on the big stage, and you’ve got a bona fide Grand Slam threat. He’s no stranger to the top guys, either.

Against Sinner, though, Fritz faces an uphill climb. Their head-to-head stands at 4-1 for the Italian. The last two meetings—at the ATP Finals in Turin and the 2024 US Open finals—ended with Jannik on top. Fritz’s only victory came at Indian Wells in 2021. And when it comes to Alcaraz? No sugarcoating it—Fritz trails 0-3. Most recently, Carlos Alcaraz ousted Taylor at the Wimbledon semis this year.

Still, with Fritz’s current fire in Montreal, can he finally turn the tide? The story isn’t written yet. So far, Taylor’s making everyone take notice. His quest for that US Open breakthrough just got a whole lot more interesting!

Taylor Fritz reveals his game plan for the next slam

Fresh off his Wimbledon semifinal breakthrough, Fritz opened up about what drives him against the game’s biggest guns. “Moving ahead, I just want to keep working on the things that are going to get me better, that are going to help me compete with these guys because at the end of the day, my ultimate goal is to win a Slam. I think I’m going to have to at some point beat these guys to do it. It’s obviously a tough ask.” He’s locked in, learning and sharpening his edge with every clash against stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The hunger for that US Open trophy is real—he’s chasing history.

Right now, Taylor Fritz heads into the National Bank Open as one of the tournament’s hottest contenders. The 27-year-old American wasted no time, ousting both Roberto Carballes Baena and Gabriel Diallo in straight sets. Confidence? Absolutely sky-high. With each crisp serve and thundering forehand, Fritz is showing he means business on the Canadian hard courts.

Next up? There’s a bit of history on the line. Taylor faces Jiri Lehecka—a familiar foe—with the scoreboard firmly tilted in Fritz’s favor. He holds a 3-0 lead in their head-to-head, chalking up victories at the United Cup, Monte Carlo, and Cincinnati Masters back in 2023. Now, two years later, Lehecka returns with a chip on his shoulder, eyeing redemption.

But the question remains: Is this the year Taylor Fritz blasts through to the quarterfinals and grabs the Canadian crown right before storming into New York? We want to hear from you. Drop your thoughts in the comments below!