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I possess some opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, he brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, 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 someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest 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 mentioning the continuing slump of American men lifting major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Down set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly improbable for all other players. {