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I have some opinions about that remarks made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final 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 sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic 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 looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {