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I possess a few opinions about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players winning major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star achieved a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {