🔗 Share this article

I possess a few opinions about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite serve and powerful strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals 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 would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {