Taylor Fritz of the United States is competing in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha for the first time, and the 23-year-old has arrived only as the Qatar-US Year of Culture 2021 is gathering traction.

After a straight-set 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Italian Lorenzo Sonego on Monday at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Fritz, the second youngest American after Michael Chang to reach an ATP final when he did so at Memphis in 2016 at the age of 18, advanced to the next round.

Fritz felt left out as Holtz praised Qatar's success on all levels in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. "We're not able to leave at all," says the narrator (because of the bubble). However, I am a huge soccer enthusiast.

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed unparalleled threats to the global community, including sport.

Although the planet struggles to fight the pandemic, with vaccinations being deployed and caseloads falling in certain countries, the Year of Culture offers a welcome reprieve after a forgettable 2020.