Italy’s Jannik Sinner defeated the American player Taylor Fritz to win the U.S. Open in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. Had 26-year-old Fritz won, he would have been the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title in more than two decades. The last was Andy Roddick, who won the U.S. Open in 2003. Instead, the drought continues and Sinner, 23 years old and the world No. 1, collected his second Grand Slam of 2024. “This title for me means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy,” Sinner said in a post-match interview, according to CNN. “There is my team who supports me every day, the people who are close to me. I love tennis. I practice a lot for this kind of stages, but I also realize that off the court there is a life.” Fritz, for his part, said that he was “sorry I couldn’t get it done this time” for all the viewers waiting for another American champion. “But I’m going to keep working and hopefully I’ll get it done next time, so thank you.”