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I have some thoughts about that remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {