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I possess a few thoughts about that remarks made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, he brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position 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 vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and powerful strength on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a terrible service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just say how he feels or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

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

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {