Taylor Fritz Reaches First Wimbledon Semifinal After Beating Khachanov

JAKARTA, July 9, 2025 — Taylor Fritz has advanced to his first-ever Wimbledon semifinal, defeating Karen Khachanov in four sets, 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4), in a spirited quarterfinal match on Tuesday.

The American world No. 5, who had previously stumbled at this stage in 2022 (vs Rafael Nadal) and 2024 (vs Lorenzo Musetti), finally broke through with a composed and resilient performance that took 2 hours and 36 minutes to complete.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d win another match here,” Fritz admitted after the match.

“So to be in the semifinals now means a lot.”

After taking control in the first two sets without facing a single break point, Fritz lost momentum in the third as Khachanov stormed through five straight games to take it 6-1. A medical timeout for a reapplication of foot strapping on Fritz’s right foot seemed to signal trouble, and Khachanov capitalized with an early break in the fourth.

But Fritz, who’s shown mental toughness throughout the tournament, recovered the break, leveled the set, and ultimately edged past his opponent in the decisive tie-break.

“The match flipped so quickly,” Fritz said.

“But I stayed composed, fought back in the fourth, and finished strong when it mattered.”

This victory marks Fritz’s first win over Khachanov in their three head-to-head encounters, and sets up a semifinal showdown against either Carlos Alcaraz or Cameron Norrie.

It’s also Fritz’s second career Grand Slam semifinal, following his run to the 2024 US Open final.

Grass-court momentum and rankings impact

Fritz’s win adds to what has been an outstanding grass-court season for the American. He now leads the ATP Tour with 13 grass-court victories in 2025, including titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last month.

With his Wimbledon performance, Fritz remains at No. 5 in the ATP rankings, now trailing Jack Draper by just 15 points for the fourth spot. More significantly, he has climbed to No. 7 in the ATP Race to Turin, putting him in strong contention for a place at the season-ending ATP Finals.

A 10-time ATP Tour champion, Fritz continues to cement his status as one of the top hard-hitting contenders on tour, with his performance at Wimbledon reinforcing his credentials on grass.

What’s next

With momentum and confidence on his side, Fritz is now within striking distance of a maiden Wimbledon final and possibly his first Grand Slam title.

Whether he faces reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz or home favorite Cameron Norrie, the semifinal promises to be another major test — one that Fritz now looks more ready than ever to take on.