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I possess a few thoughts regarding that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on both front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {