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I possess a few thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been 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 winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {