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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by ESPN commentator Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz 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 official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in press following his defeat that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Djokovic quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

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

Fritz, 28, is ranked fourth in the world starting this week’s year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. It's likely he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently adequate to defeat the majority of opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The past few years has seen the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

Fritz has achieved a number of dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly surged up to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing drought of American men winning grand slams when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply excessive and the respect for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

Fritz’s play in that exact quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz creating numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, just a result of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never particularly appeared like he thought he could win. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and strategic intelligence to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the rankings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• The Italian champion
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz told a journalist in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {