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I possess some thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been 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 American men winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {