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I have a few opinions regarding that remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way 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 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, 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 winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {