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I have some opinions regarding that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev 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: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite serve and powerful strength on each front side and backhand are more than enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue 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 could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {