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I possess a few opinions about that remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on both forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {