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I possess some thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the following match, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a tired Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aim for the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the sole barrier between her and sustained success

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently 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 power on each front side 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 last several seasons has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of smaller men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the All England Club last four in July.

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a terrible service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to win, 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, thoughtful voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not just 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 men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for everybody else. {