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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins 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 opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {