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I possess some opinions about the comments made by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, competing against and beating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory 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 pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is in fact extremely improbable for everybody else. {