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I have some thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in press after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler 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 he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally 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 contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {