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I have a few thoughts regarding the comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of letdown was appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued absence of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was waiting in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three competitors in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person sensibly had the lack of US winners in mind?

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

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. Presumably he might claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than enough to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is often helpless. The last several seasons has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was sniffing the elite ten. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler have been thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

Fritz’s play in that exact last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. Djokovic won in four sets, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating plenty of chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a terrible service game to lose his own serve again; Djokovic had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, only a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually everyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say his emotions or the strategy he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for everybody else. {