The wait goes on for an American winner at a Grand Slam after Taylor Fritz lost to Novak Djokovic at the US Open.
When Andy Roddick won his solitary Grand Slam in 2003, very few Americans would have anticipated that in 2025, the big-serving player would be the last man from the United States to win one of the game’s big prizes.
Fritz reached the final of the US Open last year before being thrashed by Jannik Sinner in the final to ensure that the wait for a USA native to win a major title goes on.
Djokovic praised Fritz after he beat him in the quarterfinal last night, but for Americans, the wait goes on to toast a male winner of a Grand Slam.
World number four Fritz had some kind words for Djokovic before losing to him, and after another pretty underwhelming defeat for the 27-year-old, there are a few more questions than answers.
One Taylor Fritz record is a huge cause for concern
Last night was the eleventh time that Djokovic has come up against Fritz, and the Serbian player has remarkably won them all.
Fritz has a very busy schedule merely because he loves playing tennis, but perhaps there is a sense that it’s damaging his ability to land a major tournament.
| Year | Winner | Event | Round | Score |
| 2025 | Novak Djokovic | US Open | Quarterfinal | 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2024 | Novak Djokovic | ATP 1000 Shanghai | Semifinal | 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2024 | Novak Djokovic | Australian Open | Quarterfinal | 7-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2023 | Novak Djokovic | US Open | Quarterfinal | 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2023 | Novak Djokovic | ATP 1000 Cincinnati | Quarterfinal | 6-0, 6-4 |
| 2022 | Novak Djokovic | ATP Finals | Semifinal | 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2021 | Novak Djokovic | ATP 1000 Paris | Quarterfinal | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2021 | Novak Djokovic | ATP 1000 Rome | L32 | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2021 | Novak Djokovic | Australian Open | L32 | 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 2019 | Novak Djokovic | ATP 1000 Madrid | L32 | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2019 | Novak Djokovic | ATP 1000 Monte Carlo | L16 | 6-3, 6-0 |
It’s not just his inability to get the better of 38-year-old Djokovic that is hampering him, and his record against Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner is also pretty abysmal.
Fritz is a quality tennis player, but for whatever reason, he just can’t seem to find a way to get over the line when it comes to playing the game’s three big Grand Slam winners.
Fritz’s record vs Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic makes awful reading
It’s quite alarming that such a good player can have such a horrible run of form against Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic.
Fritz works arguably harder than any other player on the planet, and unlike some of the other players, he doesn’t pick and choose when he plays, attempting to turn up at every tournament bidding for success.
| Year | Winner | Event | Round | Score |
| 2024 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Finals | Final | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2024 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Finals | Round Robin | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2024 | Jannik Sinner | US Open | Final | 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2023 | Jannik Sinner | Indian Wells | Quarterfinal | 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 |
| 2021 | Taylor Fritz | Indian Wells | L16 | 6-4, 6-3 |
Although that is admirable, it’s perhaps not doing him any favours at the moment, and something has to give in his quest to start getting victories over the game’s top stars.
Given that he’s some years older than Alcaraz and Sinner, he’s got to find a solution to these problems soon as he bids to end his quest for a major title.
| Year | Winner | Event | Round | Score |
| 2025 | Carlos Alcaraz | Wimbledon | Semifinal | 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2024 | Carlos Alcaraz | Laver Cup | Round Robin | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2023 | Carlos Alcaraz | ATP 1000 Miami | Quarterfinal | 6-4, 6-2 |
Given that he’s 0-11 against Djokovic, there is a sense that he’s merely a bogey player for Fritz.
However, this latest defeat does throw up a serious concern for the American to address if he’s to become the player to end the USA’s long drought for a men’s Grand Slam winner.
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