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I have some thoughts regarding the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the New York major last eight. Look – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment was understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the final representative in the tournament.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the next round, who Fritz has never defeated in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had lost 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven grand slams (plus the Spaniard went on to defeat a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). He stated in post-match interviews after the loss that he in fact preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. Fritz is well within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an athlete is meant to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian quarter-final who else in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the sole barrier standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the world entering this week’s ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 Alexander Zverev with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that right now, that is as high as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite delivery and powerful power on both front side and reverse side are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the handful of once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often helpless. The past few seasons has seen the interesting emergence of lanky, towering athletes who can nonetheless move around with the surprising speed and grace of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the opponent was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a quite severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, unexpected advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was hovering around the bottom of the world's best thirty. 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 subsequent step, competing against and defeating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That Fritz, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The desperation is just excessive and the appreciation for the difficulty of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon last four in July.

The American's play in that exact last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic triumphed in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a few championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the rallies, with the American creating plenty of opportunities to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after break point, prolonging the run to the point of frustration. When he finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly played a terrible game to drop serve once more; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle secondary to the main contest and forced him to expend far too much effort to prevail. Facing match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to heaven. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, just a result of needing to hit too many second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that the American is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the next round and did not particularly seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the height of his physical powers now, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and tactical know-how to compensate for a significant portion of the decline. The problem is the individuals who were anticipating Fritz to win, and putting pressure on him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than almost everyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he felt decided a contest, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the blame for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

American legend Division

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• The German powerhouse
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I would likely dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t accomplish it,” Fritz informed a journalist in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not a failure if he doesn’t achieve that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying reign is in fact highly improbable for all other players. {