🔗 Share this article

I possess a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz 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 once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {