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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, 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 the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {