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I have a few opinions about that comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

The American has made a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. 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 surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler 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 continuing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {