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I have a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: 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.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has yet to beat 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 lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive strength on each front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently helpless. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his potential.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the brink of agony. When he eventually did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Down match points in the last game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any version of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely unlikely for everybody else. {