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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. He is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite serve and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat most rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has made a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best run to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments 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 rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States 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, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {