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I have some opinions regarding the remarks made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title 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 come on. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to beat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the handful of generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. 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 top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth 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 magnitude of the task too little.

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

The American's performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American earning plenty of opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {