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I possess some opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued 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 last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; 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 on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement 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 versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {