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I possess a few thoughts about the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 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 is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared 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 physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {