🔗 Share this article

I possess some opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest 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 commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {