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I have a few thoughts about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to 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 lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {