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I have a few opinions about the remarks delivered by the sports network commentator a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over the American player in the New York major quarter-finals. Look – Fritz is American, the commentator is American – and sports often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. A little bit of disappointment was appropriate. Instead, Fowler invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: not one of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and Fritz had been the final representative in the competition.

We all love a narrative, myself included. But come on. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the next round, who he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been title holder the Italian, versus him Fritz had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also split the previous seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a tired Djokovic in the next round). Fritz stated in post-match interviews following his defeat that he actually preferred his draw, because it presented the chance to beat the three best players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to have faith in themselves. But entering that Serbian last eight match what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

The American star's second serve the sole barrier between her and consistent victories

Fritz, 28, is placed fourth in the global rankings entering the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his last 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 is as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of performance metrics away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on each front side and backhand are more than enough to defeat most opponents on the professional circuit. Against the select few generational talents, however, he is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming speed and grace of smaller players. Fritz is 6ft 5ins and appears that way. His footwork is rigid, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his legs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a quite harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has made a number of significant, unexpected improvements over the years. Early on of the decade, he was circling the lower end of the world's best thirty. 24 months after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the next leap, mixing it up with and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a aging Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a legitimate contender to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the ongoing slump of US male players lifting grand slams when Fritz had departed the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply excessive and the appreciation for the magnitude of the task insufficient.

The American star made a career-best advancement to the Wimbledon last four in the summer.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final should have been enough of an sign. The Serbian won in four rounds, a win that only felt uncertain for brief periods towards the conclusion, when the American had survived a few match points and had a opportunity to hold for 5-5. The duo appeared evenly matched during the rallies, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion rescued break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert a single of the opportunities at 5-5 in the second set, he immediately played a horrendous service game to drop serve again; Djokovic had lulled him into a battle peripheral to the real battle and compelled him to expend far too much energy to win it. Facing match points in the last game, Fritz’s first serve floated to the sky. He prolonged the match two times on his second serve, but finally double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, I didn’t think, only a result of needing to hit too many weaker deliveries.

The contest was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is not good enough to beat any form of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the following match and did not especially seem like he believed he could win. This is perfectly fine – the Serbian is the best player ever, and may not be at the peak of his athletic abilities anymore, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were expecting the American to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that indicated he could.

Fritz is an asset to the tour regardless. He’s a patient, reflective presence in press conferences, exceeding virtually anyone on the men's tour except for the Russian star, prepared to not only say his emotions or the strategy he believed decided a match, but explain it. That he should shoulder the majority of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a male major champion since Andy Roddick seems unfair. (Now that the fellow American is competing alongside him in the rankings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Division

• The Spanish phenom
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Group

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

“I’d probably think about it forever if I don’t do it,” Fritz informed an interviewer in the summer of winning a grand slam. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not achieve that goal, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact highly unlikely for all other players. {