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I have a few thoughts about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

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

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {