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There was plenty of excitement in the 2025 US Open, especially when the stage was set for the men’s quarterfinals as two of the biggest stars in tennis, Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, collided.

Fritz has won 10 ATP Tour singles titles and is the No. 1 American player in men’s singles. And Djokovic is one of the sport’s all-time greats and a 24-time Grand Slam champion.

This isn’t the first time these two have faced off against each other, but with time passing and speculation growing that Djokovic will end his storied career sooner rather than later, many are wondering if he’s looking to pass the torch to Fritz.

Here’s more about the athletes and what their age difference is.

Taylor Fritz’s age and career

Serbia's Novak Djokovic shakes hands with USA's Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic shakes hands with USA’s Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open | PAUL CROCK/AFP via Getty Images

Fritz was born in Rancho Santa Fe, California, to parents Kathy May and Guy Fritz on Oct. 28, 1997.

His mother and father played professional tennis as well. Kathy was a Top 10 player on the WTA Tour in the 1970s, and Guy coached tennis after he retired from the sport.

In 2015, their son won a junior major singles title at the US Open and was named the ITF Junior World Champion, becoming the first American to earn that honor since Donald Young in 2005.

Soon after, he turned professional and captured his first ATP title at Eastbourne in 2019. Fritz has been one of the most consistent performers on the ATP Tour in recent years. He has earned millions in prize money and has endorsement deals with several top companies.

Novak Djokovic’s age and what he has said about retiring

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Djokovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, to parents Dijana (née Žagar) and Srdjan on May 22, 1987, making him 10 years and five months older than Fritz. And like Fritz, he is also part of a tennis family as his two younger brothers, Marko and Djordje, have both played professional tennis.

When it comes to the topic no one really wants to talk about, Djokovic gave his thoughts, admitting that he’s “divided” about when to walk away from the game.

“To be honest, I’m kind of divided,” Djokovic shared in an interview during the 2024 United Cup (per Tennis365). “There’s always a part of me that is a young boy who just adores tennis and knows only about tennis and devoted his entire life to tennis, and that boy still wants to keep going. On the other side, I am a father of two children. And I am away from my family. And every time I travel for extended periods of time, it breaks my heart … It’s more of like, ‘What is the priority?’ Tennis has been the priority for 30 years, and I don’t want to miss out on too many moments with my children.”

At the 2025 U.S. Open, Djokovic spoke about missing his daughter’s birthday as his quarter-final match against Fritz was on the same day. He told reporters: “She’s not very happy about it, me being absent from the birthday party. If I’m here, at least I’m gonna try to win and give her that kind of present … Daddy away and daddy present is a big difference, but it is what it is this year.”

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