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I have some opinions about the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. He is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {