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I possess some thoughts about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued 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, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the world in succession. He is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service 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 energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {