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I possess some opinions about the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought 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.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last 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 draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

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 global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who 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 best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {