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I have some thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. 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. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, 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 appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit 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 yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {