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I have some thoughts regarding that remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much energy to win it. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {