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I possess a few opinions about the remarks made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and forced him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely improbable for all other players. {