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I have some thoughts regarding that comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, 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 worth commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams 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 challenge insufficient.

The American star achieved a career-best advancement to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {