🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {