🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler 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 slump of American men winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a career-best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {