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I possess some thoughts about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {