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I have a few opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: not one 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, me too. But really. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. 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 harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but explain 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 unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer 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 Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {