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I possess a few thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {