🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts about the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued absence 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 last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles 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 advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, 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 calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {