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I possess a few opinions regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, 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 nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {