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I have some opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed 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 limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {