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I have a few thoughts about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence 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 tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has made a number of dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, his first serve 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 result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify 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. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {