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I possess some thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the world back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest 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 drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad 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 did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {