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I have a few opinions regarding the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

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

The American's play in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, 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 the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer 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 breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {