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I have some thoughts about that remarks delivered by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: 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.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, 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 greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely unlikely for all other players. {