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I possess a few opinions about the remarks made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the world back-to-back. He is well justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and sustained success

Fritz, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and concussive power on both front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is often overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When he eventually did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use far too much energy to prevail. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not especially seem like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {