“Makes me feel like I serve worse!” Taylor Fritz breaks down how Novak Djokovic PUNISHES opponents with his flawless return game

Taylor Fritz stands eliminated out of the last Slam of the year.

“Makes me feel like I serve worse!” Taylor Fritz breaks down how Novak Djokovic PUNISHES opponents with his flawless return game

(L) Taylor Fritz; (R) Novak Djokovic (Images via: The New York Times/KTVN)

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic and ninth seed, Taylor Fritz went head-to-head against each other in the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday. Taylor Fritz lost to the 23-time Grand Slam winner in a humiliating three-set defeat. In a press conference later, Fritz revealed the Serb literally punishes his opponents.

Fritz was up against the legendary player in the quarter-finals of the US Open. The 36-year-old won the first set with ease, scoring 6-1. Fritz tried making a comeback in the subsequent two sets, but the former World No. 1 overpowered the American in both sets. Djokovic advanced to his 47th Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over the American.

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In a press conference after his quarter-final loss, Fritz explained to the media what it felt like facing the Serb across the net. “Novak makes me feel like I serve worse than what I serve. In other games they wouldn’t punish me so much for missing so many first serves,” the 25-year-old said. “With others, it would be worth it. Not with him,” he added.

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With his yet another loss against Djokovic, the American’s head-to-head stands at 0-8 against the Serb as he is eliminated from the last Grand Slam of the year. “He was solid, and I didn’t perform well enough on a lot of the big points,” Fritz added, reflecting on his latest match.

Related: Novak Djokovic sings ‘You gotta fight for your right to party’ with the crowd after beating Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal of US Open

How have Taylor Fritz and other American players fared at US Open?

Taylor Fritz US Open
Taylor Fritz (Image via TennisBuzz)

Ranked as the No. 1 tennis player in America in the men’s singles event, Taylor Fritz is the current World No. 9. He achieved his career-high ATP ranking of World No. 5 this year. Though he’s only 25, Taylor Fritz has brought many laurels to his family. He won the ITF Junior World Championship in 2015 at 18.

The 2023 edition of the US Open saw three American men making it to the top 8 of the tournament, a first in 18 years. Since Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe have both been eliminated in the quarter-final round, first-timer Ben Shelton is the only hope for the country to win the Grand Slam. The 20-year-old will be up against none other than Novak Djokovic himself in their semi-final clash on Saturday.

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