ATP Tour

Fritz on narrow defeat to Cerundolo: 'I don't know how I let that happen today'

Taylor Fritz went from the brink of a routine third-round victory to a disappointing exit Saturday at the US Open, where the American fell to Francisco Cerundolo after leading by two sets to love and a break.

Speaking to the media following his 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6 loss, the 28-year-old shared that the defeat was difficult to comprehend for him.

"I don't even know what to say," Fritz said. "I don't really want to talk to anybody or see anybody. I kind of just need to get out for a couple of days and then just kind of get back to work. I don't know how I let that happen today."

After squandering his lead in the third set, Fritz still had an opportunity to regain control in the fifth set. The American earned three break points at 3-4, 0/40, putting himself within touching distance of a chance to serve for the match. But the ninth seed was unable to convert, as Cerundolo staged a dramatic comeback.

Fritz, however, was quick to give credit to the Argentine for turning the match around, particularly for the way Cerundolo raised his level on serve and punished the American's weaker serving.

"He played a very good game to get the break back in the third," Fritz admitted. "It was kind of just the same thing that had been happening, as I wasn't serving as well as I normally do.

"On top of that, he's a very, very good returner. I think it made it look and feel worse, and the fact that I wasn't really hitting my spots enough on the serve. He was punishing me more than maybe a normal person would."

It is the earliest Fritz has lost at the hard-court major since 2022, when he fell to Brandon Holt in the first round. The American, who reached the final in New York in 2024, had been hoping to go one step further than his runner-up finish and claim his maiden Grand Slam title.

The ninth seed had looked dominant in his second-round victory against Mattia Bellucci, dropping just two games. But against Cerundolo, his level gradually slipped away, particularly as the match entered its decisive stages. The 28-year-old admitted that the Argentine simply outplayed him when it mattered most.

"I didn't think it was anything to really worry myself about," Fritz said about dropping the third set. "Because if I start freaking out too much about he fact that I lost a set, then it becomes more of a problem. I was pretty relaxed about it. I just told myself that I need to start serving better. And I felt like in the fifth I did.

"I had my chances to serve for the match, and unfortunately [I could not].... But in the fourth and fifth, he served incredibly well. He served himself out of trouble in the fifth. My level from the baseline just declined a little bit. I wasn't hitting the ball as well as I was earlier in the match. When that happens, it gets a little tougher to play those pressure moments, because I'm a bit more unsure about my ball striking."