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I have a few opinions regarding the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing slump of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that 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 may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {