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I have a few thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. He is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

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

The American, 28, is ranked 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 might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• 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 dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {