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I have a few thoughts regarding that comments made by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer after the Serbian champion's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at grand slam tournaments: not one of them has won a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz defeated the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d someway gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a tired Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three competitors in the world in succession. He is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match who else in their right mind had the drought of American champions on the brain?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. His top-class delivery and concussive strength on each forehand and reverse side are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is frequently helpless. The past few years has seen the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is usually a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite harsh restriction on his potential.

Fritz has achieved a number of significant, improbable improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years later, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded to fourth place – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of American men winning major titles when he had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

The American star made a personal best advancement to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an indication. The Serbian triumphed in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for moments towards the very end, when the American had survived a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning plenty of opportunities to break. But the champion saved service break opportunity after break point, extending the streak to the brink of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to drop serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish secondary to the real battle and forced him to use excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He prolonged the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to defeat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely acceptable – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, exceeding almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, willing to not just express how he feels or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States failing to spawn a male major champion since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Division

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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to do it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a major. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {