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I possess a few thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated 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 previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {