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I have some opinions about the comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued drought of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {