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I have some opinions about that comments made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten 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 if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {