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I possess a few thoughts about that comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed 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. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite serve and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity 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 other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who 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 peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {