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I have some thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing 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 last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {