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I possess some opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage 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 had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive power on both front side and backhand 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, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {