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I possess some opinions about the remarks delivered by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed 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 goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {