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I possess some opinions regarding the remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on both front side and reverse side are more than 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 years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. 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 indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only express his emotions or the strategy he believed decided 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 feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {