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I have some opinions regarding the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over the American player during the US Open last eight. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: none of them has won a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the tournament.

Everyone love a narrative, me too. But really. Even if the American defeated Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, versus him the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the subsequent match). Fritz said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, 28, is placed number four in the world entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite serve and powerful power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to defeat the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The past few years has seen the curious emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the alarming speed and grace of smaller men. He is six-foot-five and appears that way. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly surged to No 4 – and held the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the highest of all. What was the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players winning grand slams when Fritz had departed the US Open in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the All England Club semi-finals in July.

Fritz’s play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four sets, a victory that only seemed uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple match points and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked well-balanced during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the streak to the point of agony. When Fritz eventually did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to expend excessive energy to win it. Facing set points in the final game, his first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his second serve, but ultimately double-faulted. It was not a collapse, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit too many second serves.

The contest was quite compelling proof that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of the Serbian, who was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and never especially appeared like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities now, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to compensate for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than almost anyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a contest, but clarify it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for America not produce a male major champion since Andy Roddick feels unjust. (Now that the fellow American 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

Swedish icon Group

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

“I would likely think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American informed a journalist in June of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not achieve that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is actually highly unlikely for all other players. {