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I have some thoughts about that remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was 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 ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• 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,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {