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I have a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {