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I possess some opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of American men 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 competition.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {