🔗 Share this article

I have a few opinions about the comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he 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 lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has made a number of dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated 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 result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {