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I possess some opinions about the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He 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 justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on 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. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {