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I possess a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {