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I have some thoughts about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {