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I have a few thoughts about that comments made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {