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I possess a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed 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 increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {