2024-09-05 09:05:02
The U.S. Open is in full swing — and everyone is talking about Taylor Fritz.
On Sept. 3, the American 26-year-old tennis player advanced to a Grand Slam quarterfinal after defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev. It’s the first time since 2006, that the United States will be represented in the finals of the men’s singles tournament. He’ll face fellow American player Frances Tiafoe in the semifinal on Sept. 6.
You might say tennis is in Taylor’s DNA. The athlete, who stands 6 feet, 5 inches, is a second generation tennis great.
His mom, Kathy May Fritz, played professionally before retiring at 24, while dad Guy Fritz is a pro player turned coach.
“I feel like I always had the idea that it was cool to do what your parents did, so I played tennis. And I liked tennis, but to be honest, I went through periods when I was younger where I hated it and didn’t want to play because I enjoyed other sports much more,” Taylor told Haute Living last year. “There was never pressure from my parents to play, so I just tried everything until I hit an age (15) where I had to make a decision and pick one.”
“When it came down to it, I was the best at tennis of all the sports I played, so I decided to go all in,” he added.
Here’s everything you need to know about Taylor Fritz’s parents, Kathy May Fritz and Guy Fritz.
Kathy May Fritz
Kathy May Fritz, 68, achieved a singles ranking of World No. 10 in 1977, according to the WTA.
“So, I’m watching @Taylor_Fritz97 remembering playing his mom, Kathy May in our era,” 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert wrote on X last year. “She was a great competitor… like mother, like son.”
Kathy, whose family founded Macy’s department stores, grew up in Beverly Hills, and went pro at 18. During an interview with New York Magazine, she said she retired at 24, because life on tour was lonely.
Even with her tennis background, she never aspired to coach her son.
“My mom kind of took a step back, but she’s gone to tournaments with me and it’s worked out great. She helped me make a lot of important decisions, especially early on because she’d been through it herself … she’s there for the practices, she’s there for the matches — otherwise she kind of leaves me to do my own thing,” Taylor told Tennis.com in 2021.
Kathy was briefly married to Australian Open champion Brian Teacher. In 1981, she and firefighter Donn Paben tied the knot. Before their split, Kathy and Paben welcomed two sons. Kathy and Guy, who are now divorced, raised Taylor in the affluent neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego.
Guy Fritz
The former pro tennis player coached Taylor to win the 2015 junior U.S. Open title, and in 2015, he was named the Team USA Developmental Coach of the Year by the USTA.
Taylor and Guy Fritz have since ended their professional relationship.
While chatting with New York Magazine, Taylor described his father as a “pretty hard critic on my tennis game.”
“That is something I wish could have been different, because I’m the type of player that builds off confidence and telling me all the right things I’m doing and not someone telling me all the wrong things,” Taylor explained.
Taylor’s tennis training began he was just 2 years old. During a discussion with the Desert Sun, Guy said he would have Taylor walk on a balance board as a toddler. He also set up a home gym and kept his son on a clean, plant-rich diet.
“I did everything I possibly could to make him a champion,” Guy told newspaper in 2023. “From the minute he was born, I can’t even tell you every little thing I did.”
