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I have some opinions about the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest 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 continuing slump of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {