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I possess a few thoughts about that comments made by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over the American player during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – Fritz is the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at the majors: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a narrative, me too. But really. Suppose Fritz defeated Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, who he has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and the Spaniard went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it offered the chance to defeat the top three players in the world in succession. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else sensibly had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and sustained success

Fritz, 28, is ranked number four in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. His elite delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are more than enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the top 10. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating legendary figures like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing slump of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

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

The American's performance in that exact quarter-final ought to have been enough of an sign. The Serbian triumphed in four sets, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the very end, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to break. But Djokovic saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the brink of frustration. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the last game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the match two times on his second serve, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of weaker deliveries.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to defeat any form of Djokovic, that lost to Alcaraz in the next round and never particularly appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has acquired enough experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting the American to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he could.

Fritz is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, exceeding almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not just say how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a match, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for America failing to produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Bjorn Borg Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly unlikely for everybody else. {