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I have a few opinions about that remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the New York major last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on each front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When he finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

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

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {