🔗 Share this article

I possess some thoughts about the comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having 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, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {