🔗 Share this article

I possess some opinions about that comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {