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I have some opinions about that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: none 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, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {