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I have some opinions regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not 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 everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {