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I have a few opinions about that remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {