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I have a few opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men 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 storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, 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 the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American told a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {