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I possess a few thoughts 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 from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 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 far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on both 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 often helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

The American's performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, 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 patient, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {