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I possess some opinions regarding the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {