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I possess a few thoughts about that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, he brought up the ongoing absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best players in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the world starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately 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 quite ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {