Yahoo News A Guide to Taylor Fritz's Player's Box
Taylor Fritz is looking to make it to his first Grand Slam finals, becoming the first American man to do so since Andy Roddick in 2009.
Ahead of this year's U.S. Open, Fritz told T&C, "At the end of the day, you can't be thinking about the worst case scenario. You can't be thinking about bad things that could happen. You just have to go out and play. That's something I've learned—I've had times in the past where I'm very anxious on the Grand Slam weeks and it's such an important week to perform, but then I've taken some losses and it's taught me to just go out there and just not care as much. Even though you care so much. It is tough to explain, but you have to care and then not care at the same time."
Cheering him on in the semifinals tonight against Frances Tiafoe will be his player's box, where his team, his girlfriend, and his family will be sitting. Here, a guide to who's who:
His coach, Michael Russell
Russell and Fritz have been working together since 2021.
This marks the first time Fritz made it to a Grand Slam semi, and Russell couldn't be prouder. “He’s been on the cusp of getting to the semi-finals, and then to do it here at the US Open, I mean, it's fantastic,” Russell said this week. “He’s super excited and so is the team. Obviously there's always a lot of talk of the next American to win a Grand Slam, and pretty far from it still, but one step closer. I thought he did a great job of managing his emotions today. We’re just really proud of the way he handled the situation. [We will have a] mini celebration, as you say, and then tomorrow, just get right back to work.”
His girlfriend, Morgan Riddle
"When Taylor and I first started dating, I got introduced to the sport and which really, really did not know anything about," Riddle told Town & Country. "I went to college in New York, and I don't think I'd ever even heard of the U.S. Open, which is ridiculous. I've never really been a part of a fandom—this is the first fandom that I'm a part of, and I want other people to be able to experience that, too." Now, she's one of the biggest champions of introducing new fans to tennis, and is a constant presence supporting Taylor.
His mom, Kathy May Fritz
Both of Taylor's parents are former professional tennis players. “I feel like I always had the idea that it was cool to do what your parents did, so I played tennis. And I liked tennis, but to be honest, I went through periods when I was younger where I hated it and didn’t want to play because I enjoyed other sports much more,” Taylor told Haute Living. “There was never pressure from my parents to play, so I just tried everything until I hit an age where I had to make a decision and pick one.”
His mom, Kathy May, reached a ranking of world no. 10, and won seven WTA titles during her career. She's also the great-granddaughter of David May, who founded the May Department Stores—better known today as Macy's.
His dad, Guy Fritz
Guy Fritz reached a career-high ranking of 301, and he began coaching Taylor when he was young. “I did everything I possibly could to make him a champion,” Guy said. “From the minute he was born, I can’t even tell you every little thing I did.”
His physical therapist, Wolfgang Oswald
Another member of Taylor's team in his box is Wolfgang Oswald, his strength and conditioning coach. Wolfgang has been working with Taylor for years, and recently gave an interview offering insight into his mentality.
“He's quiet and reserved and he's very mellow other than [when he is on] the court. His heart rate doesn't even go up one beat per minute if we're late for a flight. He is so cool, calm and collected,” Wolfgang said about Taylor. “And then in a match, if you watch him play, he fights tooth and nail to the end. But I think being calm most of the time helps the mental energy when you have to turn it on. You can turn it on. If you're always amped up, and then have to amp up more for a match, sometimes that can be very mentally fatiguing.”
His agent, Matt Fawcett
In Taylor's box is also his agent, Matt Fawcett, pictured above at the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Lilly Russell
Lilly is the wife of Michael Russell, and travels with her husband and the rest of Taylor's team on the ATP Tour. According to her Instagram, she's a former fitness competitor. The front row of Fritz's box is always the same four people sitting next to each other, from left to right: Lily, Morgan, Wolfgang, and Michael.
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