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I have some thoughts regarding that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: 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 tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {