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I possess a few opinions about that comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final 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 sustained success

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {