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I have a few thoughts regarding that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, he brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title 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. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. His elite serve and concussive strength on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. 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 athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe 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 world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {