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I possess some thoughts regarding that remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and powerful power on both forehand and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has made a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible service game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {