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I have some thoughts about the comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up 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 declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {