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I have a few opinions regarding the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. 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 climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• 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 indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {