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I possess some thoughts regarding that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was appropriate. Rather, he brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain 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 well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {