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I possess a few thoughts regarding the remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is the United States, Fowler is from the US – and sports frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Instead, Fowler brought up the ongoing absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the following match, whom Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the opportunity to beat the three best players in the sport in succession. Fritz is well justified to aim for the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else sensibly had the lack of US winners on the brain?

Coco Gauff’s weaker delivery the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is ranked number four in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has won his previous six matches over No 3 Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that is as high as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. Against the handful of generational talents, though, he is often overmatched. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was controlling, and playing a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh limitation on his upside.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. The previous season, he suddenly surged to fourth place – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the continuing slump of American men winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's performance in that very last eight match ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair appeared well-balanced during the rallies, with the American earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and compelled him to expend far too much effort to win it. Down set points in the last game, Fritz’s primary delivery sailed to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The match was fairly compelling proof that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The issue is those who were expecting Fritz to win, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, more so than virtually anyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States failing to produce a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unfair. (Since the fellow American is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

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

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {