🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts regarding that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork 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 playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {