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I have a few opinions regarding that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler after the Serbian champion's victory over the American player in the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to nationalism. Some disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the last seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to thrash a tired Serbian in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. His elite serve and concussive power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to defeat most rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few years has witnessed the interesting emergence of tall, gangly players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising speed and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his potential.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years later, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to fourth place – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, Sinner, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator 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 US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for brief periods towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, extending the run to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a battle secondary to the real battle and forced him to expend excessive effort to win it. Down match points in the last game, his first serve floated to heaven. He prolonged the contest two times on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a choke, in my opinion, just a result of having to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling proof that the American is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and pressuring him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he would.

The American is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective voice in press conferences, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, willing to not just express his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for the United States not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Group

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

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he realizes that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {