"I want to be the one that ends it, but so does Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul" - Taylor Fritz on 20-year Slam drought for US men since Andy Roddick

Taylor Fritz opened up on the 20-year drought for an American Grand Slam men's singles title winner, following his first round win at the US Open.

The USA hasn't had a men's singles tennis champion in 20 years, since Andy Roddick defeated Carlos Alcaraz's current coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final of the 2003 US Open, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

Fritz came to the US Open as the highest-ranked American at World No.9. The expectations are there, even though neither he nor his compatriots are considered the main favorites to lift the trophy on September 10.

During the press conference after his first round straight-set win against Steve Johnson, he was asked whether the trophy-less drought has a weight on his mind.

"I mean, I don't care. Obviously, I want to be the one that ends it, but, I mean, so does Frances [Tiafoe], so does Tommy [Paul], so do all the other Americans. That doesn't really change anything. I guess that's not on my mind. I want to win a Slam," Fritz said, smiling.

"In doing that, you know, then all the other stuff. But it's not as much pressure as I guess you'd say like the Tim Henman thing [saying he felt the weight of the whole nation at Wimbledon], because it's not just me. There are several of us. We share that, and we share the hopes of it, I guess," he added.

Fritz previously ended another drought when he won the 2022 Indian Wells title, but that didn't lift the pressure of the US Open off of him.

"I think there is still pressure. I think I'm a better player now than I was last year. If anything, I mean, there is just as much pressure, but I think I just can go about handling it better. And I already have," Taylor Fritz explained.

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Taylor Fritz to face Juan Pablo Varillas in US Open 2023 second round

Taylor Fritz after defeating Steve Johnson in the first round of the 2023 US Open

Taylor Fritz will play Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas in the second round of the 2023 US Open, after defeating Steve Johnson, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, at the start of the competition.

Fritz showed good form at the start of his US Open campaign, coming from the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he lost to the eventual champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 0-6, 4-6.

The 25-year-old already improved on his disastrous first round exit in 2022, when the qualifier Brandon Holt eliminated him in four sets, 7-6(3), 6-7(1), 3-6, 4-6.

His opponent Varillas surprised World No. 46 Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, winning their encounter in four sets, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.

The winner of the duel between the Peruvian and the American will face either Titouan Droguet or Jakub Mensik in the third round of the US Open.