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I possess a few thoughts about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete 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 in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters 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’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could 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 American men lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the All England Club 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 sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When he eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {