🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts about that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could 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 lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP 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 responsibility for America not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {