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I possess some thoughts regarding that comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement 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 usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, 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 run to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {