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I possess some opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling 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 position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting grand slams when he had exited 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 personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, 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 nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for all other players. {