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I possess a few opinions regarding that remarks made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived 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 divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on both front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {