Taylor Fritz has just finished his grueling match at the Cincinnati Open. The No. 6 seed came up short against fellow American Brandon Nakashima in their high-stakes match that went to three sets, 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3. It was an all-serving match that either way would’ve come down to the wire, but Nakashima was simply too hot to handle on the day. But while Fritz will now have to regroup and prepare himself for the US Open, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and go back in time to see who created the man we know today: his parents.

Who are Taylor Fritz’s parents?

Taylor Fritz wasn’t just lucky to have played tennis. He was blessed with a full-size tennis court in his backyard in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where he grew up. Well, how else would you expect it when your mom is a former Top-10 WTA player, and your dad is a former pro turned coach?

Indeed, Kathy May Fritz is no joke. The native of Beverly Hills made her pro debut at age 18 and was touring for six years. Her career includes seven WTA singles titles and four doubles titles. The three times she reached the Grand Slam quarterfinals included two appearances at the French Open (1977, 1978) and one at the US Open (1978). Her highest ranking on the WTA list was 10th place. She retired early at age 24 due to loneliness. However, she stayed in the world of tennis and supported her son.

His father, Guy Fritz, did not have the same honors Kathy has; his highest world ranking was World No. 301, but he was a respected coach. Guy has been one of the most famous coaches in Southern California. He trained CoCo Vandeweghe from age 8 to 16, and she won the 2008 junior US Open championship. Of course, he has also coached his own son to the 2015 junior US Open title. In 2016, he received the US Olympic Development Coach of the Year award.

Kathy is also a mom to two older sons from a previous marriage to Donn Paben. And here’s a fun tidbit: her family founded the May Department Stores Company, which eventually merged with Macy’s. So yeah, tennis royalty meets retail royalty.

When did Kathy May and Guy Fritz meet?

The tennis legends first crossed paths in the 1980s, after Kathy had retired from the WTA. Kathy had been married briefly to Brian Teacher, yes, the 1980 Australian Open champion, but that didn’t last. She later married Donn Paben and had two sons.

Guy, on the other hand, had been establishing his credentials as a coach in the Southern California tennis community. While how they met is not something you can find all over the Internet, it is apparent that they crossed paths due to the sport they were both passionate about. They got married in 1986 and moved to San Diego, where they raised Taylor in the suburb of Rancho Santa Fe.

But like many love stories, this one eventually ran its course. Kathy and Guy divorced, but they never stopped showing up for their son. Even after the split, both parents have been fixtures in Taylor’s player box, cheering him through the highs and the lows. That’s the kind of co-parenting that deserves a standing ovation.

What is the ethnicity of Taylor Fritz’s parents?

Taylor Fritz is as American as they come, born and raised in California. But his family tree? That’s where things get interesting. Through his mother Kathy May, Taylor has Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on his maternal grandfather’s side. His great-great-grandfather, David May, was a Jewish immigrant from Kaiserslautern, Germany. He founded the May Department Stores Company, which later became Macy’s. So, yes, Taylor Fritz is literally a department-store heir.

On his father’s side, Guy Fritz has German, Swiss-German, English, Scottish, Irish, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish roots. It’s a classic American melting pot, European heritage all the way down. Taylor’s paternal grandfather, Harry George Fritz, was born in San Diego, and the family tree stretches back to Switzerland and Germany.

Inside Taylor Fritz’s relationship with his parents

Taylor’s relationship with his parents is layered, like any good sports drama. His dad Guy was his first coach, pushing him hard with drills, sprints, and chin-ups from a young age. But that intensity came with a cost. By 2018, Taylor decided to move on from his father’s coaching style in search of a more encouraging environment. “Growing up, the relationship wasn’t amazing,” Taylor once admitted about his upbringing under his father.

His mom Kathy took a different approach. She never pushed him into tennis and actually encouraged him to explore other sports. “There was never pressure from my parents to play,” Taylor told Haute Living. “I just tried everything until I hit an age where I had to make a decision and pick one”.

Kathy traveled with him to tournaments and helped him make important decisions, offering the kind of steady support that only someone who’s been there can provide. Today, Taylor credits both parents, his dad’s tough love and his mom’s balanced guidance, as the twin forces behind his rise in tennis.

Fritz may have stumbled in Cincinnati, but don’t count him out yet because the US Open is coming right up. And this kid comes through in big events. After making it to the final of the US Open in 2024, he is bound to benefit from this experience. He possesses a great serve and is now a better mover than before.

With his fighting spirit, which comes from years of playing high-stakes tennis, Fritz seems like a candidate for an impressive result at the US Open. His parents will be sitting in the stands to watch their creation go for glory in a Grand Slam event. Would it not be ironic if this kid who was born to play tennis finally won one?