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I possess a few opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he brought up the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

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

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz 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 hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he thought 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 sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {