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I possess a few thoughts regarding that comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was 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 continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement 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. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {