🔗 Share this article

I possess a few thoughts about the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But really. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {