🔗 Share this article

I have some opinions about the remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, 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 someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {