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I have some opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {