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I have some opinions regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past 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 previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {