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I possess a few opinions regarding that comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz during the New York major last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some letdown was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of American men at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, whom Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the previous seven major titles (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the world in succession. Fritz is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the only thing between her and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are more than enough to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a number of significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. 24 months later, he was approaching the top 10. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

Fritz’s performance in that exact quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the last game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It was not a collapse, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, willing to not only say how he feels or the tactic he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {