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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, he brought up the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

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

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {