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I have some thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few seasons has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins 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 opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation 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 top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of American men winning major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish 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 doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {