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I have some opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The past few years has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {