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I possess some opinions about that comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But really. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem 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 strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {