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I possess some opinions regarding that comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he brought up the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, 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 legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• 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 fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {