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I possess some opinions about that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: 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 narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot 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 vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest 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 appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {