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I have some thoughts about that comments delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning 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. Last year, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {