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I have some thoughts about the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace 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 drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of American men lifting grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for all other players. {