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I possess a few thoughts regarding that comments delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive strength on both front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of agony. 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; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

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 aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {