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I possess some opinions about that comments delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged 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 the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• 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 understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {