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I have a few opinions regarding that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the world in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

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

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite serve and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {