🔗 Share this article

I have some opinions about that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on each front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {