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I possess a few opinions regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, he brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {