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I have a few thoughts about the comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players 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.

Everyone love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived 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 previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. 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 US winners on the brain?

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

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. 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: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {