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I have some opinions about the comments delivered by ESPN broadcaster a well-known announcer following Novak Djokovic's win over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Look – the athlete represents American, the commentator is American – and athletic competitions often lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Instead, he invoked the continued drought of US male players at the majors: none of them had lifted a trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a storyline, myself included. But really. Suppose the American had beaten Djokovic for the initial occasion, force of nature Carlos Alcaraz was looming in the next round, whom he has never defeated in an official match. And had he somehow gotten past that, it would have been defending champion the Italian, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the previous eleven sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and Alcaraz went on to defeat a tired Serbian in the next round). He said in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it presented the chance to defeat the three best players in the world back-to-back. Fritz is more than within his right to aspire to the accomplishment; an competitor is meant to have faith in themselves. But going into that Serbian quarter-final what other person sensibly had the drought of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing between her and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed fourth in the world entering the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals and has won his last six encounters over No 3 the German with growing comfort. Presumably he might take that spot for himself in the coming years. But it’s clear that right now, that’s as high as he can climb: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. Fritz’s top-class serve and concussive power on each front side and backhand are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the ATP tour. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, though, he is often overmatched. The past few seasons has seen the curious rise of lanky, towering players who can nevertheless cover the court with the alarming quickness and grace of smaller players. He is 6ft 5ins and looks it. His footwork is stiff, as if he hasn't fully adapted to his limbs. So he seldom win a rally that the other player was controlling, and hitting a drop shot versus him is typically a reliable tactic. That serves as a pretty harsh restriction on his upside.

The American has achieved a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the elite ten. Last year, he unexpectedly exploded up to No 4 – and maintained the position. But the subsequent step, mixing it up with and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and including a aging Serbian, is the toughest of all. What could the commentator have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to beat them all back-to-back? That it was worth commenting on the ongoing drought of US male players lifting major titles when he had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the respect for the difficulty of the task too little.

Taylor Fritz made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

The American's play in that very last eight match should have been enough of an sign. Djokovic won in four rounds, a victory that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the very end, when the American had saved a couple match points and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American creating numerous opportunities to break. But the champion rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of frustration. When he eventually did claim a single of the chances at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately played a horrendous service game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had lulled him into a skirmish peripheral to the main contest and compelled him to use excessive energy to win it. Down set points in the final game, his primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the match twice on his backup delivery, but ultimately committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, only a consequence of having to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The contest was quite ironclad evidence that the American is insufficiently skilled to beat any version of Djokovic, that lost to the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly appeared like he thought 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 now, but has developed enough knowledge and tactical know-how to make up for a significant portion of the drop-off. The problem is those who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not accomplished anything that indicated he could.

The American is an asset to the circuit nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in press conferences, exceeding almost everyone on the men's tour aside from the Russian star, prepared to not only express his emotions or the tactic he believed decided a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the United States not spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist seems unjust. (Now that Ben Shelton is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• The Australian speedster
• The Italian stylist

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I don’t do it,” the American informed an interviewer in June of claiming a major. It is hoped he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he does not fulfill that objective, that overcoming Alcaraz and Sinner’s young, terrifying empire is actually highly unlikely for everybody else. {