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I possess some opinions about the comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {