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I have a few thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and powerful power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say 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 Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {