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I have a few opinions regarding that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, 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 against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest 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 worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {