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I possess a few thoughts regarding the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway 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 defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive strength on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could 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 slump of American men winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed 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 developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {