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I have a few opinions regarding the remarks made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins 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 other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {