US Open: Taylor Fritz fires 14 aces to win all-American first-round match in straight sets

Taylor Fritz powered past fellow American Darwin Blanch in the first round of the 2026 US Open, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in 100 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The ninth seed struck 14 aces against the 18-year-old wildcard, who was appearing at the tournament for a second consecutive year. Fritz won only 42% of points on return, but his serve kept Blanch under pressure throughout the all-American match.

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Playing against young American players is never easy.

“Playing against young American players is never easy,” Fritz said. “Aside from my return game, I played well in every area, and I’m satisfied with the first-round win.”

Fritz reached the US Open final in 2024, the best Grand Slam result of his career. His recent North American hard-court season has been uneven: he won in Washington in August, lost in the first round in Montreal and reached the Cincinnati quarterfinals. He now aims to find his form at the year’s final Grand Slam and return to the title fight he experienced two years ago in New York.

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Aside from my return game, I played well in every area, and I’m satisfied with the first-round win.