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I possess a few opinions about the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was understandable. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Division

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

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {