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I have some thoughts about the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point 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 number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up 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 had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {