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I possess some thoughts about that remarks made by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the US Open last eight. Consider – Fritz is American, Fowler is American – and sports frequently lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a narrative, me too. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who he has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has won his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful power on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, improbable advancements 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 sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could win. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {