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I have some thoughts about the comments delivered by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy 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 come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller 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 other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {