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I have some opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, he brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {