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I have some opinions regarding that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title 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 come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest 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 continuing drought of US male players lifting 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 challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {