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I possess a few thoughts about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world 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 could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on each front side and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {