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I possess some opinions about that remarks delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open last eight. Look – the athlete represents American, Fowler is from the US – and sports often encourage nationalism. Some letdown was understandable. Rather, he invoked the continued absence of US male players at grand slam tournaments: none of them had lifted a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

We all enjoy a narrative, myself included. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the first time, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who Fritz has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow survived that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also split the previous seven major titles (and the Spaniard proceeded to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). He said in post-match interviews after the loss that he actually liked his path, because it offered the chance to beat the top three competitors in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than justified to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of US winners on the brain?

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

Fritz, twenty-eight, is ranked fourth in the global rankings starting the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has secured his previous six encounters over third-ranked Alexander Zverev with increasing ease. It's likely he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that at present, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on both forehand and backhand are sufficiently enough to dispose of most opponents on the ATP tour. Against the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, he is frequently helpless. The last several years has witnessed the interesting rise of lanky, towering players who can nonetheless cover the court with the surprising speed and fluidity of much shorter men. He is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His movement is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he’ll rarely win a rally that the other player was dictating, and playing a drop shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That serves as a quite severe restriction on his upside.

The American has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. At the beginning of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months later, he was sniffing the elite ten. Last year, he suddenly exploded up to No 4 – and held the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and beating legendary figures like the young Spaniard, Sinner, and including a aging Djokovic, is the highest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men winning major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the All England Club last four in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match ought to have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed 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 creating plenty of chances to break. But Djokovic rescued break point after service break opportunity, prolonging the run to the point of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he promptly produced a horrendous game to drop serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a skirmish peripheral to the real battle and forced him to expend far too much energy to prevail. Facing set points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to heaven. He extended the contest two times on his second serve, but finally committed two errors. It was not a choke, I didn’t think, just a consequence of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to defeat any version of the Serbian, that was defeated by Alcaraz in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could triumph. This is perfectly fine – Djokovic is the greatest of all time, and may not be at the height of his physical powers anymore, but has acquired sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were expecting the American to prevail, and pressuring him to achieve that, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, thoughtful presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, willing to not only express how he feels 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 male major champion since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Since Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the standings, maybe they can share that load.)

ATP Finals: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Group

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

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that objective, that breaking through the Spanish and Italian's dominant, formidable reign is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {