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I have some opinions about that comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller players. 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 win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a male major champion 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.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {