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I possess some thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than 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 drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame 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 rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {