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I possess a few opinions regarding that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in 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 would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on each front side and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was 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 continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {