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I possess some opinions about that comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, he brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. He is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and held 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 Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few 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 chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {