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I possess some thoughts about the remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted 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. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to win, 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 circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {