🔗 Share this article

I have a few opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {