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I have some opinions regarding that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: 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 love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming 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 Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

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

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, 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 typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

The American has made a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging 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 mentioning the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat 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 absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on 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 press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish 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 goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {