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I possess a few thoughts about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 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: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might 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 drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {