Taylor Fritz made sure he is following the FIFA World Cup despite being occupied with the grass swing. With 48 teams in the fray, this is the biggest FIFA World Cup ever, as multiple countries made their debut at the global event. But with the event back in America after 1994, a whole new generation of demographic is exposed to American culture, and Fritz finds it more amusing than the action that’s going down on the pitch.

“I’m pumped for the World Cup, but so far my favorite thing has been all the content of Europeans experiencing super American things for the first time and being shocked”, Fritz posted on his X account today.

European teams make up 16 of the 48 teams at the tournament. From powerhouses like England, France and Spain to underdogs like Turkiye and Czechia and a dark horse like Croatia, the field is stacked with teams from the other side of the Atlantic. Boasting some of the most passionate soccer fanbases in the world, the FIFA World Cup sees Europeans follow their teams to any host nation. They bring the fan atmosphere and truly a global feel to the tournament.

Nearly 1.24 million international fans are expected to visit the USA during the World Cup per Oxford Economics. European fans are expected to. With matches spread across Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area, fans are flocking to different parts of the country and experiencing the real ‘American’ culture.

From discovering fast food joints that run well past midnight to casually discovering the filming locations of their favorite pop shows to discovering the radio culture in the countryside. The fans are documenting their experiences as they fall in love with the American way of life.

Among all the fun content that has gone viral, one X user, Elsa Thorne, has gotten a lot of responses to her post. Being a Swedish fan, she was quite surprised to see everyday toiletries being stored in protective doors, something that was not at all common in the Scandinavian countries.

The cost of living, especially transportation costs, really shocked a Scottish supporter, who had to pay an exorbitant cab fare to get from the airport to his accommodation, a price he claimed would be enough for a cross-country road trip back in the UK. Another fan shared their shock on social media, noting that jaywalking in America is illegal and subject to fines, unlike in most other countries.

The cultural shock is not restricted to fans alone, as even European tennis stars experienced it. Iga Swiatek spoke about being out of her comfort zone in bustling New York City during the 2022 US Open, which she shared in the Netflix documentary Break Point. The rowdy American crowd is something of a shock as well, as we have seen players like Daniil Medvedev have a love-hate relationship with them, and even Aryna Sabalenka struggling with that in the initial stages of her career.

These cultural quirks often provide heartwarming amusement, as they did for Fritz, but the American is determined to get his season back on track during the grass-court season.

Fritz Looks to Get His Season Back on Grass

Injuries and a serious dip in form saw Fritz have a shaky start to the season, losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open against Lorenzo Musetti. The American reached the final in Dallas, where he lost to Ben Shelton, but had underwhelming results at Delray Beach, Indian Wells, and in Miami.

Fritz played only two matches in the clay-court season, losing to Alexei Popyrin in Geneva and to Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the French Open. However, once he got his feet on grass, he immediately found his groove, winning against the likes of Martin Landaluce, Mattia Bellucci, and Alexander Bublik before falling short against Shelton in the final. This run will give a lot of confidence to Fritz, who has a stellar record on grass, which includes five titles, four of which have come at Eastbourne.

The American’s serve and precise baseline strokes make him an ideal grass-court player, as he has an 18-9 win-loss record at Wimbledon, with his best finish as a semifinalist last year. His next scheduled match is against Zizou Bergs in Halle, and he will hope to get as many wins as possible so that he can go into the grass-court Major with confidence. With Carlos Alcaraz not being there in the draw, if Fritz can keep his fitness, he is capable of making a deep run on grass.