Meet Taylor Fritz’s Parents, Former Tennis Star Kathy May and Coach Guy

Emily Weaver, Nicole Pomarico, Emily BlackwoodWed, July 8, 2026 at 3:18 PM UTC

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Taylor Fritz of the United States on day eight of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on July 6, 2026, in London; Kathy May on day eight of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on July 6, 2026, in LondonCredit: John Walton/PA Images via Getty (2) -

Taylor Fritz’s parents are Kathy May and Guy Fritz

Taylor’s mom, Kathy, won seven WTA singles titles and four doubles titles during her tennis career

Guy played professional tennis before focusing on coaching, including working with Taylor

Taylor Fritz was born with tennis in his blood, thanks to his parents, Kathy May and Guy Fritz.

The tennis legends first crossed paths in the 1980s after Kathy, a former player, retired from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Guy had also played professionally before making the switch to private coaching, a career he held for over five decades before retiring in 2023.

Their son Taylor was born on Oct. 28, 1997, at which point the pair were living in San Diego, where their backyard was equipped with a full-size tennis court. Despite having professional athletes as parents, Taylor wasn’t immediately passionate about the sport.

“I always had the idea that it was cool to do what your parents did, so I played tennis. And I liked tennis, but to be honest,” he told Haute Living in August 2023. ”There was never pressure from my parents to play, so I just tried everything until I hit an age [15] where I had to make a decision and pick one.”

Today, Taylor can continue counting on their support, including while he plays at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

Here’s everything to know about Taylor Fritz’s parents, Kathy May and Guy Fritz.

Kathy became a professional tennis player at 18

Taylor Fritz and Kathy May after he men’s Final on Day 14 of the BNP Paribas Open on March 20, 2022 in Indian Wells, California.Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Kathy is a Los Angeles native who hails from retail aristocracy as her family founded Macy’s department stores.

As a young athlete, she was coached by tennis Hall of Famer Pancho Segura and went pro at age 18. Kathy won seven WTA singles titles and four doubles titles during her six years as a professional tennis player.

She competed in three Grand Slam quarterfinals, including the 1977 and 1978 French Opens and the 1978 US Open, in which her impressive win clinched her a top-10 world ranking, per the Los Angeles Times.

In an August 2016 New York Magazine interview, Kathy said her retirement at age 24 was mostly because life on the road was “so lonely.”

Guy was a pro tennis player-turned-coach

Guy Fritz (top) and Kathy May (right) watching Taylor Fritz play against Holger Rune in their fourth round match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2024Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

In his youth, Guy was a touring tennis player.

He eventually made the jump to coaching junior players, including pro CoCo Vandeweghe, who won the 2008 junior US Open title, per the Los Angeles Times.

Guy later coached his son Taylor to the 2015 US Open Junior Championships title.

A year later, Guy was honored with the US Olympic Development Coach of the Year Award for his dedication to coaching youth tennis.

In March 2023, Guy retired from coaching, according to a press release.

Kathy has two sons from a previous relationship

Kathy was briefly married to Brian Teacher, the 1980 Australian Open champion. However, they divorced soon after his big victory, according to The Oregonian.

She later welcomed two sons with her ex-husband, firefighter Donn Paben, whom she married in 1981.

Kathy and Guy eventually divorced when Taylor was about 18, according to Palm Springs Life.

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They raised Taylor in San Diego

Kathy and Guy chose the affluent neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego to raise Taylor.

During a June 2024 Parenting Aces podcast appearance, Guy remarked on how Taylor’s childhood set him up for success.

“We were very lucky,” he said. “We were living in southern California. We had a [tennis] court in our backyard, so Taylor had all the advantages. He really did.”

Taylor attended Torrey Pines High School, where he played baseball, lacrosse, football, basketball and soccer.

Speaking to Haute Living, Taylor shared that it wasn’t unusual for him to juggle two sports per season.

“I guess growing up, I didn’t have my mind set on being a professional tennis player — I just had my mind set on being a professional athlete,” he said. “I didn’t care what sport it was. When it came down to it, I was the best at tennis of all the sports I played, so I decided to go all in.”

Kathy and Guy took different approaches to Taylor’s tennis career

Kathy May Fritz and Taylor Fritz during the 2016 ITF World Champions Dinner on May 31, 2016 in Paris, FranceCredit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

As the son of two renowned tennis experts, Taylor had different relationships with his parents growing up.

While Kathy took more of a backseat approach, Guy was hands-on during the early stages of his career.

“My mom kind of took a step back, but she’s gone to tournaments with me and it’s worked out great. She helped me make a lot of important decisions, especially early on because she’d been through it herself ... she’s there for the practices, she’s there for the matches — otherwise she kind of leaves me to do my own thing,” he told Tennis.com in December 2021.

Meanwhile, Taylor described his dad as “a pretty hard critic” to New York Magazine.

“That is something I wish could have been different, because I’m the type of player that builds off confidence and someone telling me all the right things I’m doing and not someone telling me all the wrong things.”

“From the time he was born, all I thought about was making him a champion,” Guy said.

Kathy added, “I told him a long time ago that Taylor should get another coach. He just felt like he was the best coach and cared more than anyone, which is true.”

Guy coached Taylor at the start of his career

While the father-son duo have had differences, Taylor still credits Guy for giving him a solid foundation in the game of tennis.

“When you’re a kid, you don’t know what’s right and wrong, so you kind of just have to listen to what they tell you, and I’m just fortunate that I had people around me who knew what they were talking about,” he told New York Magazine.

For his part, Guy is happy with the player his son has become.

“I think he has a high ceiling. I couldn’t be prouder. He’s really matured. He’s a good kid,” Guy told KESQ News in March 2022. “He’s doing really well.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”