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I have a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement 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 drop shot versus him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

The American has made a number of significant, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest 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 worth commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {