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I possess some opinions regarding that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players 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, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {