🔗 Share this article

I have some thoughts about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. 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 other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of American men winning grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how 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 suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States 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 load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {