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I have some thoughts regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, he brought up 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 Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in press after the loss that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the sport back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian 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 sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and concussive strength on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of US male players winning major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task insufficient.

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

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to use excessive effort to prevail. Down match points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly ironclad proof that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his physical powers 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 expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for America not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist feels unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

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

Swedish icon Division

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

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {