🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic 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 had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for all other players. {