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I have a few opinions about that comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's win over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and athletic competitions frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the ongoing absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the competition.

Everyone love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow 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 (and the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the sport in succession. He is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final who else in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won 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 high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard lie a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is often overmatched. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement 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 soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly exploded to No 4 – and held the spot. But the next leap, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, 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 defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When he finally did convert a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, his first serve floated to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was fairly ironclad proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a match, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Division

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

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American told a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {