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I have some opinions regarding that remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient 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 championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {