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I possess a few thoughts regarding that comments made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated 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 proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently 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 serve and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been 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 lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended 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 an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not 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 standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {