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I possess a few opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

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

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when he 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 achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American 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 tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {