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I have some thoughts about the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {