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I possess a few opinions regarding the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His elite serve and concussive power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {