🔗 Share this article

I possess some opinions about the remarks made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of American men winning major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {