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I have a few thoughts about the remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the New York major quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is American – and sports often encourage patriotic sentiment. Some disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, he invoked the ongoing drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, myself included. But come on. Suppose Fritz defeated the legend for the initial occasion, force of nature the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had lost 10 of the previous eleven sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the previous seven grand slams (plus Alcaraz proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is more than justified to aspire to the achievement; an athlete is meant to believe in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match who else sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

The American star's second serve the only thing standing in her way and sustained success

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the future. But it’s clear that at present, that is as high as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His top-class serve and powerful strength on both forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of much shorter men. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the opponent was dictating, and playing a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several dramatic, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the ten-year period, he was hovering around the bottom of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, competing against and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Serbian, is the highest of all. What could the commentator thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate mentioning the ongoing drought of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is simply too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

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

The American's play in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four sets, a victory that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous chances to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When he eventually did claim one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to prevail. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of having to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the following match and never especially seem like he thought he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was yet to accomplished anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, exceeding virtually anyone on the ATP aside from Daniil Medvedev, willing to not just say how he feels or the tactic he felt determined a match, but explain it. That he should bear the brunt of the blame for America not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can divide that load.)

Year-End Championships: Player Divisions

American legend Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• The Italian champion
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” the American informed an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that overcoming the Spanish and Italian's young, terrifying empire is in fact highly improbable for everybody else. {