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I possess some thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {