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I have a few thoughts regarding that comments made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator 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 American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, 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 decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy 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 unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning 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 actually extremely improbable for all other players. {