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I possess a few thoughts about the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including 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 commenting on the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {