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I have a few thoughts about the comments delivered by ESPN commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been understandable. Rather, Fowler invoked the continued absence of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all love a storyline, me too. But really. Even if the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, who Fritz has yet to beat in an competitive encounter. And if he’d somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also split the last seven major titles (plus Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in press following his defeat that he in fact liked his draw, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the sport in succession. Fritz is more than justified to aim for the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person sensibly had the drought of US winners on the brain?

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

The American, 28, is ranked fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. Presumably he could claim that position for himself in the future. But evidently that right now, that’s as far as he can rise: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite serve and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, Fritz is often helpless. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nonetheless cover the court with the alarming speed and fluidity of much shorter players. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he’ll rarely steal a point that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty harsh limitation on his potential.

The American has achieved a several dramatic, improbable advancements over the years. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the world's best thirty. Two years after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and maintained the spot. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and including a declining Serbian, is the highest of all. What could 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 ongoing slump of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

Taylor Fritz achieved a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

The American's play in that very quarter-final ought to have been sufficient of an sign. Djokovic won in four sets, a win that only felt tenuous for moments towards the very end, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of frustration. When he finally did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive effort to win it. Down match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to heaven. He prolonged the match two times on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was fairly compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of the Serbian, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly acceptable – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the height of his athletic abilities anymore, but has acquired sufficient knowledge and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that indicated he could.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually anyone on the ATP except for the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he felt decided a contest, 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 Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• Félix Auger-Aliassime (Can)

“I would likely think about it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not a failure if he does not fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually extremely improbable for all other players. {