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I possess some opinions regarding that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins 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 controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has made a number of dramatic, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, 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 appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {