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I have some thoughts regarding that comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over the American player in the New York major last eight. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and sports frequently encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. He is well justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful strength on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging 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 commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning grand slams when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

The American star made a career-best advancement to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling proof that the American is not good enough to defeat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but clarify it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying reign is actually extremely improbable for everybody else. {