The clay season has rarely been kind to American men’s tennis. For years, Roland Garros has been a graveyard for U.S. hopes and early-season hype. But the 2025 French Open changed that storyline. Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe reached the quarterfinals in Paris, marking the first time since 1996 that two American men made it this far. And even outside the French Open, there are four Americans in the ATP Top 20 and eight in the Top 50. And leading that charge is World No. 4 Taylor Fritz. So, it would only be unfair to leave him out of this conversation, right? Well, John McEnroe did just that, and fans don’t seem to be too happy about it.

Taylor Fritz had a forgettable outing in Paris this year. Seeded fourth, he crashed out in the first round against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. Fritz did manage to level the match at one set apiece but lost the next two, ending his French Open run before it even got started.

After his loss, the 27-year-old addressed fans with a heartfelt post on Instagram. He wrote, “Not gonna lie—this one hurts. I came into Roland Garros with high expectations but I didn’t deliver it. Losing early is brutal, but it’s part of the game. All I can do is use this extra time to work and get back to the level that I know I should be at.”

Fritz’s struggles on clay aren’t new. He’s always been more comfortable on hard courts, and this year’s Roland Garros proved no different. Still, it’s hard to ignore what he accomplished just last season. You’d expect Fritz to be front and center in the conversation about American men’s tennis, as he made the US Open finals last year. But surprisingly, his name didn’t come up during John McEnroe’s comments on TNT Sports. While McEnroe praised Paul, Tiafoe, and even Ben Shelton, he skipped Fritz entirely.

Find out what the fans had to say about that!

Fans react to John McEnroe snubbing Taylor Fritz

Fans were quick to spot the omission and took to social media to vent. One fan ranted, “Mcenroe has just said on @tntsports that Paul, Tiafoe and Shelton are the reason the gap between Europe and US has narrowed in the slams. How the f–k can this dinasour leave Fritz out when hes the one who has reached a f—ing final. It’s just unbelievable.”

At the 2024 US Open, Taylor Fritz made history. Though he lost to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, he became the first American man to play in a major final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009. He was also the first American to reach a US Open final since Roddick in 2006.

Another fan pointed out an overlooked stat: “I don’t know what to say. Just to remind you, last year Fritz became the first American since Agassi in 2003 to reach the 1/8 of every Grand Slam tournament.”

Fritz had a strong run last year across all four majors. He beat the previous year’s runner-up, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in four sets at the Australian Open and reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. At Roland Garros, he made the fourth round for the first time before falling to Casper Ruud. Then he reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals after beating Alexander Zverev in the fourth round but lost to Lorenzo Musetti.

Fans didn’t hold back about John McEnroe’s perceived bias. One fan wrote, “It’s McEnroe. We need not say more. 🙄 I just block them out of my consciousness.”

McEnroe’s Grand Slam commentary has often landed him in hot water. The American tennis legend faced backlash last year at the French Open for a remark about Iga Swiatek, where he said she should consider “throwing on a little makeup.” That comment didn’t sit well with many fans. He’s also been criticized for not staying updated with the current ATP rankings. During broadcasts, McEnroe has referred to players like Zizou Bergs and Matteo Arnaldi as “complete unknowns,” frustrating fans who expect more awareness from a seasoned commentator.

Another fan expressed their frustration and added, “The recency bias is insane 😭😭😭.”

And there’s more to Fritz’s 2024 season than just Grand Slams. He teamed up with Tommy Paul to win a bronze medal in men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics, beating the Czech duo of Tomáš Macháč and Adam Pavlásek. He then capped off the year by reaching the ATP Finals title match but lost again to Jannik Sinner.

One fan summed it up perfectly: “It’s like he loses 1 match & he just disappears off the list of Americans.”

To make matters worse, Fritz has been nursing an abdominal injury for most of 2025. After bowing out of the Australian Open, he still chose to compete in Dallas and Delray Beach. Things looked better at Indian Wells, but the injury flared up again during the Miami Open. His first-round defeat in Paris also hit his ranking. British star and World No.5 Jack Draper will soon be bumping Fritz out of the No. 4 spot. With the grass season ahead, he’ll now have to defend a good chunk of points.

As the season moves forward, it’ll be interesting to see how both fans and critics respond to his next chapter. Will his upcoming performances shift the conversation?