🔗 Share this article

I have a few opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

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

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {