🔗 Share this article

I possess a few thoughts regarding the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and powerful strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {