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I have a few opinions regarding that comments made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {