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I have some thoughts about the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins 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 playing a drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {