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I have some opinions about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience 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 prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {