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I have a few opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world in succession. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian 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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian won in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, in my opinion, only a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {