🔗 Share this article

I have some opinions regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought 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 storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position 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. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much 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 double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {