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I have a few thoughts about that comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {