NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 30: Frances Tiafoe of the United States reacts against Ben Shelton of … [+] the United States during their Men’s Singles Third Round match on Day Five of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Andy Roddick turned 42 on Friday, and he still remains the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title.
That was 21 years ago. In 2003.
European men have dominated men’s tennis across the last two decades, winning 77 of the last 78 major titles. The “Big 3” of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have combined to win 66 Slams since Wimbledon in 2003.
Still, things are more promising for American tennis now than in a long time. There are five American men ranked inside the Top 20 of the world rankings and four Americans are among the final 16 at the U.S. Open: No. 12 Taylor Fritz, No. 14 Tommy Paul, No. 20 Frances Tiafoe and No. 50 Brandon Nakashima.
It is the second straight year four American men have reached the final 16. The last time it happened in back-to-back years was 2002-3.
Ben Shelton, the world No. 13 who lost to Tiafoe in five sets in the third round on Friday, believes it’s “inevitable” an American man will win another major.
“I think that the gradual improvement of the ranking of American players over the last three, four years, is proof to where we’re going,” Shelton, the 21-year-old Atlanta native, said ahead of the start of the Open. “I think it’s inevitable that we will have a Grand Slam champion from our country. I don’t know when it’s going to be or who it’s going to be.”
The U.S. Open draw has opened up significantly with the upsets of No. 2 and defending champion Novak Djokovic and No. 3 and 2022 champ Carlos Alcaraz.
“The stars just have to align,” former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios said on ESPN before those upsets. “If [world No. 1 Jannik] Sinner or Alcaraz goes down in the third or fourth round, who knows? Novak is getting older.
“I think Americans have a really good shot now, I really like their chances.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 31: Tommy Paul of the United States returns a shot against Gabriel … [+] Diallo of Canada during their Men’s Singles Third Round match on Day Six of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Paul, who was born in South Jersey and then moved to Greenville, N.C., will have a chance at another major upset when he faces Sinner in the fourth round after taking out 6-foot-8 Canadian Gabriel Diallo, a former Kentucky star, in four sets.
Is he thinking, why not me?
“I mean, you see it happening but I knew I had a tough match today and I was really just worried about that,” Paul told ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs on court.
“If Sinner won, that’s definitely not an easy match.”
Sinner, who rolled Chris O’Connell of Australia in straight sets Saturday, is 2-1 against the American and is one of just two remaining men in the draw to win a Grand Slam title (Australian Open). The other, No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, is also in that same quarter.
“I’m really excited to play that match [against Sinner]hopefully you guys can come out and we can produce something great out there, so I’m really excited,” Paul said.
Sunday will be a huge day for Americans with Fritz taking on No. 6 Casper Ruud, a former U.S. Open finalist, and Nakashima meeting No. 4 Alexander Zverev, also a former Open finalist, during the afternoon session on Louis Armstrong. Both should have huge crowd support.
Fritz, the top-ranked American, has made the fourth round of all four majors this season.
“It’s a pretty cool thing for me to do, because just last year I was really struggling with Grand Slam results,” said Fritz, who lost in straight sets to Djokovic in the quarterfinals last year.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 30: Brandon Nakashima of the United States returns a shot against … [+] Lorenzo Musetti of Italy during their Men’s Singles Third Round match on Day Five of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Nakashima is into his first fourth-round at the Open after defeating Olympic bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti in four sets on Friday.
“To make the fourth round, as an American, it’s just a very exciting time for me,” he said.
“To play in front of these crowds, get that home support, it’s just super special. You know, I’ll just kind of treasure these moments as I get through them.”
Tiafoe figures to have huge support during the night session when he takes on Alexei Popyrin of Australia, who throttled Djokovic in four sets on Friday night.
This is their first meeting but Tiafoe has to be thinking he has an excellent chance to make it through to the quarterfinals.
Beyond that, he and the other Americans must be thinking, Why not me?
“Yeah, we all wanna be that guy,” Tiafoe said on ESPN. “There’s no secret behind that, but I think every year we’re closer and closer to it and hopefully this is the one.”
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