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I possess a few thoughts regarding that comments made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {