🔗 Share this article

I possess a few opinions regarding that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought 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 competition.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, 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 service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to win it. Down set points in the final game, his first serve floated 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, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, 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 anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice 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 believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg 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 told an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {