🔗 Share this article

I possess some opinions about that comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, though, he is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not spawn 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, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {