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I possess a few thoughts about the remarks delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all enjoy a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is well justified to aspire to 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 on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting 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 could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the interesting emergence of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless move around with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller men. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a number of significant, unexpected advancements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men lifting grand slams when he had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s performance in that very last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a terrible service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to use far too much effort to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired enough knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he would.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour except for Daniil Medvedev, willing to not only express how he feels or the strategy he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can share that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {