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I possess a few thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played 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. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend 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 don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {