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I have some thoughts about the remarks made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {