Fritz Finally Gets His Hands on Silverware in Washington

Fritz Finally Gets His Hands on Silverware in Washington

Taylor Fritz has ended a frustrating trophy drought, beating Spanish teenager Rafael Jódar 7-6(2), 6-4 in a rain-delayed Washington final that had fans on the edge of their seats.

The third seed needed the best part of two hours – and five match points – to see off his 19-year-old opponent, with the final pushed back a day after thunderstorms swept through the capital and delayed the women's showpiece too.

It was a tight, tense affair from the start. Both men held serve with ease through the first set before Fritz sharpened up on the return in the tie-break, cracking a couple of big serves (125mph and 139mph) that Jódar simply couldn't handle, to nab it 7-2. He then burst out of the blocks in the second set, breaking twice to lead 3-0. Jódar hit back with a break of his own and even battled through what looked like a wrist niggle, taking a medical timeout before the final game and saving three championship points along the way. But Fritz held his nerve to close it out on his fourth match point, sinking to his knees in relief before soaking up the home crowd's applause.

It's Fritz's 11th career ATP title and his first above 250-level since he won in Tokyo back in 2022. The win lifts him to world No. 9 – the top-ranked American on tour – and makes him only the second American man to lift the Washington trophy since 2008, after Sebastian Korda's win in 2024.

For Jódar, there's plenty to be proud of despite the defeat. The teenager, who claimed his maiden title in Marrakech earlier this year, reached his first ATP 500 final off the back of notable scalps over Arthur Fils, Kei Nishikori and Lorenzo Musetti. His run will send him to a career-high ranking inside the world's top 15.

The verdict: This was as much about Fritz shaking off the ghosts of three final defeats already this season as it was about the trophy itself. He'll head to the Montreal Masters with real momentum – and a knee issue behind him – as the US Open looms. Jódar, meanwhile, leaves Washington as one of the form players on tour and a genuine top-20 threat heading into the North American hard-court swing.