Tue Jul 08 18:00:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Taylor Fritz Battles Through Injury to Reach Wimbledon Semifinals, Ending American Drought**
**WIMBLEDON, England** – Taylor Fritz overcame a mid-match foot injury and a resilient Karen Khachanov to secure his first-ever Wimbledon semifinal berth on Tuesday, winning 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4). With the victory, Fritz becomes the first American man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals since John Isner in 2018.
The No. 5 seed dominated the early sets, showcasing powerful serves and unwavering court presence. However, a sudden shift saw Khachanov, the No. 17 seed, seize control, winning eight of nine games and forcing Fritz to take a medical timeout for a foot issue.
“I’ve never really had the match change like that so drastically,” Fritz said. “I felt so in control, playing great, serving great. Then, out of nowhere, I just started making a ton of mistakes.”
Despite the setback, Fritz rallied in the fourth set, regaining his composure and ultimately clinching the victory in a tense tiebreaker. He finished the match with 16 aces, reaching a top serve speed of 138 mph.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Fritz said. “Having played the quarterfinals here twice and lost in five twice, I don’t think I could have taken another one.”
Fritz’s impressive grass-court season continues, with a 13-1 record and two titles at Stuttgart and Eastbourne. This marks the most grass wins on the ATP Tour and the most by any American man in a season since 1990.
He now faces a daunting challenge in the semifinals against two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.
Fritz joins Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton as the only active American men to make multiple major semifinal appearances. Shelton has a chance to join him if he gets past world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The last Wimbledon to feature two American men in the semifinals was 2000 (Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi).
The U.S. hasn’t had a male Wimbledon finalist since Andy Roddick in 2009. Fritz is chasing his first Grand Slam title — and Wimbledon hasn’t produced a first-time major champion since Roger Federer in 2003.
Khachanov, who has never advanced past the Wimbledon quarterfinals, falls to 0-11 in Grand Slam matches against opponents ranked in the top five.
First Piper 