🔗 Share this article

I possess a few opinions regarding that comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {