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I have a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted 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 come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway 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 grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {