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I have a few thoughts about the remarks made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {