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I have some opinions regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick 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 the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in press after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when he 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 personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain 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 pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {