🔗 Share this article

I have some opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev 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: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – 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 declining Serbian, is the toughest 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 mentioning the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated 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, just a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {