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I have some thoughts regarding that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, 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 appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {