The footballer Taylor Fritz said was a ‘big icon’ for him growing up

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Taylor Fritz will head into the 2026 ATP Tour season hoping to end a 23-year American drought.

Not since Andy Roddick in 2003 has an American man won a Grand Slam singles title. Roddick won the 2003 US Open, defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final.

Fritz, the world number six, will likely have to overcome both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner if he is to win a major title – an extremely tall task.

Fritz is the latest in a long line of American superstars, following on from the likes of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

The American, understandably, will have looked up to many of these icons while watching them play on the ATP Tour.

Fritz also had another idol who played football.

Taylor Fritz said Cristiano Ronaldo was a ‘big icon’ for him growing up

Speaking to Forbes in 2022, Fritz revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo had a big influence on him while growing up.

“My parents have obviously had the biggest influence on me. Both of them were pro players,” Fritz said.

“My mum got as high as number eight in the world. So there was a lot of knowledge there to help mould me into the player I am today.

“When I was young, I looked up to tennis players like Pete Sampras, Federer, and (Juan Martín) Del Potro. They all inspired me to play in a style similar to theirs.

“I played a lot of other sports growing up too. Soccer was always one of my other favourites, so Cristiano Ronaldo was also a big icon for me.”

Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is one of the most successful players in football history. The Portuguese star has won five Champions League titles and holds the record for the most goals in Champions League history [140].

Novak Djokovic is inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo

Speaking during the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic identified Cristiano Ronaldo as an inspiration, alongside basketball player Lebron James and American Football star Tom Brady.

“Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go,” Djokovic said.

“If you see across all the global sports, LeBron James he is still going strong, he is 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40-something years old, it is unbelievable.

“They are inspiring me. In the next couple of years, tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed and I want to be part of that change.

“I want to be playing when we rejuvenate our sport and set the new platform that is going to go on for decades to come.”