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I have some opinions about that comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men 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.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {