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I have a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {