👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

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Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 Quite a record: The last American man in the singles draw went down after Novak Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. The win means he keeps his perfect record against Fritz, now 11-0.

  • What he said: “Incredibly close match, it was really anybody’s match,” Djokovic said. “I thought I was lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set. I think for most of the second and third set, he was the better player. In these kinds of matches, few points decide the winner. It was fortunately coming on my side.”
  • Crucial numbers: Djokovic saved 11 of 13 break points.
  • Noteworthy: At the age of 38, and at a time when critics say Djokovic is in decline, he’s made the semifinals of all four majors in 2025.
  • Worth a listen: Taylor Fritz’s post-match press conference, in which he describes how he was unable to take advantage of the opportunities he had.
  • Yes, but: The strategy of trying to out-Djokovic Djokovic will never be a winning one.
  • And another thing: It’s become increasingly clear over the last few years that if Taylor Fritz wants to get over the finish line at a major, he needs a super coach who has been there before. Michael Russell and part-timer Paul Annacone are not those people.
  • Next: Djokovic faces Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals on Friday.

🎾 Tip-toeing to the semis: Jessica Pegula has quietly made her way into the semifinals without dropping a set after defeating Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday, 6-3, 6-3. In fact, Pegula has lost only 23 games in five matches.

  • What she said: “I’ve been able to kind of go into those matches and really take care of business,” Pegula said. “I think that’s also what’s given me a lot of confidence, is I’ve played good players but [had] convincing wins over those players.”
  • Yes, but: Part of the reason Pegula has gone under the radar is that she hasn’t faced another seed in five rounds of play. She is playing well, and she can only play who is in front of her, but she remains untested thus far.
  • Next: Pegula faces top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals on Thursday.

🎾 Ain’t done yet: If you wondered whether Venus Williams was done after the U.S. Open, her post-match press conference after losing with Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals of doubles against Siniakova and Townsend sure cleared that up.

  • What she said: “I think after this tournament I can really see where I want to improve, what I can work on,” Williams said. “Yeah, I think that it’s all great feedback. But also, I had a lot of chances to play a lot of matches here, which is what I would desperately need to get better. I saw myself improving so much with every match I was playing.”
  • Next: Unclear, but Venus is looking. “If there is opportunity for me to play, then hopefully I can get back somewhere this year. I just don't know. I really don't.”