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I have some opinions regarding that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He stated in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

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

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, 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 winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the point of agony. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {