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I have some thoughts about the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, he brought up the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, 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 exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” the American told a journalist in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {