🔗 Share this article

I possess some thoughts about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in press after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest 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 mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {