🔗 Share this article

I have some opinions regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

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

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {