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I have a few thoughts about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {