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I possess some opinions regarding that comments made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian 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, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of 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. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler 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 US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers 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 anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a match, but explain 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 feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for all other players. {