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I have a few opinions regarding that remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {