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I have some opinions regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some letdown was appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {