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I have some opinions about that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

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’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {