Fritz has envisioned himself holding the U.S. Open trophy for years, even when that idea seemed preposterous to most. He couldn’t care less about the other side of the net. He would play Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all at once for a chance like this.

On this court, in this stadium, in front of this throng of nearly 24,000, with his home Grand Slam on the line and the chance to break the 21-year major drought for American men, don’t think he doesn’t like his chances.

Quietly, humbly, he is that confident these days, and he’s played like it the past 12 of them.

He took out Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud, both Grand Slam finalists before him, on the way to the semifinal against Tiafoe — an overwhelming crowd favorite who thrives on the vibes of Arthur Ashe Stadium, especially at night. He got past Tiafoe too.