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I possess a few thoughts about the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match 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 between her and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players winning grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a few match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating 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 agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {