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I possess a few opinions about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins 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 other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {