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I have a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive power on both front side and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared 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 acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {