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I possess a few opinions about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he 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 the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was 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 continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed 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 achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending 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 terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly 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 acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {