🔗 Share this article

I have a few opinions about the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, 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 continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit 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 done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {