American tennis player Taylor Fritz has reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the first time, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4). Fritz’s victory marks a significant milestone in his career, as he is the first American man to reach the grass-court Slam since John Isner in 2018.
Fritz, who was runner-up at last year’s US Open, came into the match with a 1-4 record in major quarterfinals and 0-2 at Wimbledon. However, he has been on a roll since the start of the grass-court season, with a 13-1 record on the surface.
Fritz powered through the initial two sets, taking 40 of his 47 service points, before Khachanov made a comeback in the third set. Fritz took a medical timeout to address a foot problem, but he recovered and regained his strength to win the final set in a tiebreaker.
The victory marked a dramatic turn-around in the match, with Fritz going from 2-0 down in the fourth set to just two points away from victory twice before ultimately claiming the win. Fritz praised his serve, saying it was “putting a lot of pressure on [Khachanov]’s serve.”
Fritz’s achievement is significant not only for himself but also for American tennis. He joins Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton as one of the few American men to make multiple major semifinal appearances. With Fritz now in the semifinals, the US has a chance to produce its first male Wimbledon finalist since Andy Roddick in 2009.
Fritz will face two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the next round, and his chances of winning his first Grand Slam title are growing by the day.
Source: https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/45694663/taylor-fritz-defeats-karen-khachanov-reach-wimbledon-2025-semifinals