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I have a few opinions about that comments made by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, who he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press following his defeat that he actually liked his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of performance metrics away. His elite delivery and concussive power on both forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to dispose of most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the interesting rise of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, improbable improvements over the years. 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 sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, that lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in June of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {