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I have some opinions about the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions 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 entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His elite serve and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator 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 American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When he finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {