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I possess some opinions regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters 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 right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players winning grand slams 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 insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {