🔗 Share this article

I have some thoughts about that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

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

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was 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 US male players lifting major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem 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.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce 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

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {