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I possess a few opinions regarding the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could 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 ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {