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I possess some thoughts about that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else 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, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {