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I possess some opinions about that comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed 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 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 lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each front side and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining 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 worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {