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I possess some opinions about that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of American men winning major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive effort to win it. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {