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I have a few opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful power on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest 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 appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {