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I have some thoughts regarding that remarks made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could 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 chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {