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I have some thoughts about the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, 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 drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's play in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {