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I possess a few thoughts about the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz 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 opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much energy to win it. Down set points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, 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 unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {