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I possess a few thoughts regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on each front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to break. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive effort to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {