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I possess some thoughts regarding that comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected 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 after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {