The last 4 home men’s champions at Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open: Taylor Fritz looks to end 21-year US wait

Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2016, Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open
Andy Murray is the last British Wimbledon men's singles winner, while Andy Roddick is the last American US Open men's singles champion.

Taylor Fritz has the chance to make history on Sunday night.

The US star and 12th seed could become the first American man in 21 years to lift the US Open title – and the first US male player to win any singles major since then.

Ahead of his date with destiny, we look at the last four home men’s singles winners at all four Grand Slam events.

Australian Open: Mark Edmondson, 1976

One of the most surprising Grand Slam champions of all time, Edmondson remains the lowest-ranked man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era – and the last Australian man to lift the title on home soil.

Ranked 212th heading into the tournament, Edmondson shocked fifth seed Phil Dent in the second round, before a victory over 12th seed Brian Fairlie sent him into the last eight.

The 22-year-old proceeded to defeat compatriot and 13th seed Dick Crealy to reach the semi-finals, where he stunned top seed and all-time great Ken Rosewall in four sets to reach the final.

In the championship match, he was again a significant underdog against another legend of the sport, in the form of second seed and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion John Newcombe.

However, once again Edmondson defied the odds, prevailing 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 to lift his first and only major singles title.

Since Edmondson, four Australian men have reached the final – but have been unable to win the title.

John Marks and Kim Warwick finished as runners-up in 1978 and 1980 respectively, while Pat Cash lost consecutive finals in 1987 and 1988.

The only Australian man to reach the final this century was Lleyton Hewitt, who was beaten in 2005.

French Open: Yannick Noah, 1983

Noah remains the last Frenchman to win at Roland Garros and the last French player to win a men’s singles Slam across the four events.

He entered the French Open in 1983 as the sixth seed, though had never made it past the quarter-final of a Slam previously – having lost at that stage the past two years in Paris.

Noah cruised through the opening rounds of the tournament, not dropping a set on his way to the quarter-final – where he was up against third seed Ivan Lendl.

Lendl was still searching for his first Slam and was the favourite for this contest though he was put to the sword by his French rival, who prevailed in four sets to reach the last four.

With Christophe Roger-Vasselin his semi-final opponent, a French finalist was guaranteed – and it was Noah who progressed, dropping just three games to reach the final.

His epic run culminated in a scintillating final display, defeating reigning champion and fifth seed Mats Wilander 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(3) to lift his sole singles major.

Since Noah, only one Frenchman has reached the final in Paris, with Henri Leconte falling to Wilander in 1988.

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Wimbledon: Andy Murray, 2016

The most recent home champion at any men’s singles Slam, Murray won the second of his two Wimbledon titles eight years ago.

Murray had famously ended a 77-year wait for a British men’s champion at SW19, meaning by 2016 there was less pressure on his shoulders to lift the title.

Seeded second, the Brit cruised through to the quarter-final stage, not dropping a single set in his first four matches.

His quarter-final against 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga proved to be the toughest match of his run but, despite squandering a two-set lead, the future world No 5 ultimately prevailed in five sets to return to the last four.

There, he breezed past long-time rival and 1oth seed Tomas Berdych in straight sets to reach his third final in the space of four years at his home major.

Milos Raonic was his opponent on that day, and Murray downed the sixth seed 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to win the title.

That remains the last major singles final any British man reached.

US Open: Andy Roddick, 2003

Much like Noah, Roddick remains the last American man to win the US Open and the last to win any major singles crown.

Heading into the 2003 US Open, Roddick was the fourth seed and the form player of the summer – having lifted both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open titles.

The fourth seed impressed early on, dropping just one set on his way to the last eight – where he dispatched 12th seed Sjeng Schalken in straight sets.

Competing in his first US Open semi-final, Roddick’s campaign looked over when he fell two sets down to 13th seed David Nalbandian, but he rallied and prevailed in five sets to reach a first major final.

Roddick was up against third seed and reigning French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final, though faced little fuss, with a 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 victory delivering him the title.

He also finished as the runner-up in 2006, falling to Roger Federer.

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