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I have some thoughts regarding that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot 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 vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up 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 including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, 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 winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes 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 actually highly improbable for all other players. {