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I possess some thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he 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 Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single 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 peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {