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I have a few opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on both front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest 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 drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous 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 pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {