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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much energy to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {