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I have some thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {