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I have a few opinions about that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. He is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming 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 it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest 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 ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {