🔗 Share this article

I possess some thoughts about that comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting 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 defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed 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 Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly improbable for all other players. {