🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts about the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, 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 versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator 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 US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {