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I possess a few opinions about that remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Rather, he brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, 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 serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a career-best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {