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I possess a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following the Serbian champion's win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently encourage patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been understandable. Rather, he brought up the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the top three players in the sport in succession. He is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s top-class delivery and powerful strength on each front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few generational talents, however, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a number of dramatic, improbable advancements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, 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 worth mentioning the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a career-best run to the All England Club semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been sufficient of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the brink of agony. When he finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use far too much energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the next round and never especially appeared like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say how he feels or the strategy he felt determined 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 Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {