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I have some thoughts regarding the comments delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {