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I possess some thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {