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I possess some opinions regarding that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

The American's play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to win, 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 regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {