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I possess some opinions regarding the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted 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. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (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 draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {