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I have some thoughts about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith 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 weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America 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 standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {