🔗 Share this article

I possess a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players 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 storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {