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I have some thoughts about the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and powerful power on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {