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I have some thoughts about that comments made by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently encourage nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners in mind?

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

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, though, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of significant, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending 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 drop serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. 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 reign is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {