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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

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

The American, twenty-eight, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite 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 select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is rigid, 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 drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

The American 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 after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star achieved a career-best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments 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 well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to use far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American told an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {