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I have some thoughts regarding that remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around 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 held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {