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I possess some opinions about the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, he brought up the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler 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 he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {