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I possess some opinions regarding that remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful strength on each front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork 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 drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {