By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Taylor Fritz fell to Stan Wawrinka in his Wimbledon debut 42 years after his mom, Kathy May, lost her Wimbledon debut to Billie Kean King.
Photo credit: Stephen White/CameraSport
Taylor Fritz received a Swiss education during grass-court season.
He learned a little bit about himself—and his mom's tennis past too.
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Stan Wawrinka spoiled the 18-year-old American's Wimbledon main-draw debut 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-4 today. The match came a few weeks after third-ranked Roger Federer dispatched Fritz from the grass of Stuttgart, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
"It's, you know, weird to be watching these guys my whole life growing up as a kid, and then stepping on the court with them," Fritz said.
It's also incredibly challenging for the former junior No. 1, who contested the Wimbledon boys' semifinals just two years ago and took the court with only two grass-court wins on the pro circuit to his credit.
Fritz suffered his sixth straight loss to a Top 20 opponent and is still seeking his first major match victory. The 2015 US Open junior champion has shown plenty of potential and room for growth in his ATP debut season.
Playing just his third ATP tournament in February, Fritz fought back for a gritty 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Ricardas Berankis in Memphis becoming the youngest American man to reach a final since a 17-year-old Michael Chang won Wembley in 1989.
The teenager with the booming serve and crunching ground strokes took a set from seven-time Wimbledon winner on the grass of Stuttgart and Fritz understands his game, and body, are works in progress. He must get physically stronger and sharpen his movement and court coverage, but his accurate serve, power off both wings and racquet skills give him a strong foundation to reach his goal of Top 50 by the end of this season.
It's already been a milestone season for Fritz, who popped the question in front of a landmark. Fritz got engaged to girlfriend Raquel Pedraza during Roland Garros last month, proposing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
In the span of a few months, Fritz has undergone some major life changes though he doesn't feel a dramatic difference.
"Yeah, it's a big step. We have already been traveling the world together for almost three years, so she's pretty much part of the team at this point," Fritz said. "Pretty much everything is the same, to be honest. It's great. I'm really happy for everything, and I think that the general consensus is some people may say I'm too young, but a lot of positivity."
A player with a bright future learned a bit about his family past during his post-match press conference. Fritz's mother, former WTA Top 10 player Kathy May was also 18-years-old when she faced a Grand Slam champion in her Wimbledon debut. Billie Jean King defeated May, 6-1, 6-1, that day.
"I did not know that," Fritz told the media, adding with a smile: "So I did better. That's good.
Fritz's father, Guy, is also a former pro and long-time coach. He credits his success to his parents' no-stress approach. In fact, he played other sports, including basketball, before opting to pursue tennis.
"Both my parents were professionals. My mom a Top 10 player," Fritz said. "They have definitely both helped me get to where I am now. Obviously I wouldn't be here without both of them. They have taught me ways to just have fun and enjoy it without putting too much pressure on me, which I really appreciate, you know.
"Growing up you see a lot of crazy tennis parents who really make it like do or die for their kid if they win or lose. I'm really fortunate to have some parents that cared and just wanted me to have fun and never really pushed me to pursue it in a professional way."
Though Fritz admired Federer and Wawrinka watching tennis on TV as a kid in California, neither Swiss was his favorite player. That honor goes to 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who won his first Wimbledon match in three years and faces Wawrinka next.
"I always looked up to del Potro when I was a kid just because of the way he played pretty fearlessly," Fritz said. "He had a big serve and big forehand like how I try and play. It's pretty much I looked up to him more because our games are similar and he's just a great guy on and off the court."