🔗 Share this article

I possess some opinions regarding that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

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. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles 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 challenge too little.

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

The American's performance in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {