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I have a few thoughts about the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace 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 legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed 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 the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {