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I have a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, 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 title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aim for the achievement; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of Djokovic, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion 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 had not done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {