🔗 Share this article

I possess some opinions about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably 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 forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning 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 exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, 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 worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem 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 could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t 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 does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {