🔗 Share this article

I have a few thoughts about the comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {