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I have some opinions about the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the chance to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match 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 Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {