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I have some thoughts about that comments made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {