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I possess a few thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming 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 it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {