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I possess some opinions about the remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on each front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {