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I possess some opinions regarding the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best players in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

The American's performance in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {