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I have a few opinions about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might 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 chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty 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 should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {