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I possess some thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, 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 achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star'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 ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous 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 duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {