If Taylor Fritz is to claim his first career Gland Slam odds, he’s going to have to overcome heavy odds stacked against him.
Jannik Sinner will also be taking the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in his first U.S. Open men’s singles final on Sunday, but the top-ranked player in the world did win the Australian Open earlier this year. Sinner also reached the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon and owns 15 career singles titles.
The Italian is the -425 favorite at DraftKings to beat Fritz (+320), and has now been backed by 54 percent of all money waged on the men’s title.
The 12th-seeded Fritz, 26, is coming off a dramatic five-set victory over Frances Tiafoe to become the first U.S. man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Andy Roddick lost in the 2009 Wimbledon championship match. This is new territory for Fritz, who expects to feel less pressure than when he was favored to win the All-American semifinal against Tiafoe.
Fritz will be the first U.S. man to play in a U.S. Open final since Roddick was the runner-up in 2006. Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open championship remains the last Grand Slam title by a U.S. man.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m in the final,” Fritz said in his post-match interview at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I’m going to come out and give everything I possibly have, and I know that for a fact. I’m going to give it everything I can possibly give it so I can win.”
Fritz had never passed a major quarterfinal until this week, and was a +5000 longshot when the tournament began.
Sinner is coming off a straight-sets win over England’s Jack Draper, and is seeking to become the first Italian man to win the U.S. Open. He’s the heavy favorite, but knows the crowd will be firmly in Fritz’s corner at Flushing Meadows.
“I am looking forward to it,” Sinner said after defeating Draper. “Finals are very special days. Every Sunday you play shows you are doing an amazing job, so I will try to keep pushing and I will see what I can do.”
–Field Level Media
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