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I possess a few thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning 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 appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {