It has been 22 years since an American man won the US Open — or any grand slam title for that matter — but US tennis has arguably not been in such a promising position in decades.
Taylor Fritz became the first American man to reach the final at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 18 years when he reached the showpiece event last year, ultimately losing in straight sets to the fancied Jannik Sinner. Fritz was also the first American man to feature in any grand slam final since Andy Roddick lost out to Roger Federer in the 2009 Wimbledon decider.
American tennis has waited a long 22 years for a grand slam winner after Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero to win his first and only grand slim title, but Fritz’s appearance in last year’s final does not appear to be an isolated incident.
There are now genuine signs that more American men will be featuring in the latter stages of the biggest competitions going forward.
More recently, Fritz reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time in his career before ultimately going down against Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the summer, while Ben Shelton reached the last four in Australia back in January.
Shelton had previously reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows Corona Park with a thrilling run to the last four in 2023 before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Shelton also claimed the first Masters title of his career earlier this summer when he defeated Karen Khachanov in the final. At just 22, he is arguably America’s best hopes of winning a grand slam of the players currently on tour. Shelton’s immense serve and powerful groundstrokes are a match for most players on his day and he remains one of the most dangerous players on tour.
His compatriot Frances Tiafoe, who defeated Shelton in a thrilling five-setter at the 2024 US Open, has reached the last four at Flushing Meadows twice in the last three years, losing in an energy-sapping five-setter against Alcaraz in 2022 before losing against Fritz in 2024. Tiafoe also reached the last eight at the French Open for the first time in his career earlier in the summer.
Tiafoe’s varied and entertaining style make him one of the most popular players on the tour and it is only a matter of time before he makes it to a grand slam decider.
Tommy Paul, on the other hand, was an Australian Open semi-finalist in 2023 and has reached the last eight in three of his last five slams. He is yet to make it beyond the fourth round at the US Open but will be hoping to scratch that particular itch this time around.
The regularity with which American men are reaching the latter stages of grand slams is a far cry from a decade ago, when quarter-final appearances were few and far between, let alone semi-finals or finals appearances.
In fact, only two American players – Sam Querrey and John Isner – reached the last eight of a grand slam during the 2010s, with Isner reaching the US Open quarter-final in 2011 before reaching the last four at Wimbledon in 2018. Querrey, on the other hand, reached the last eight at Wimbledon in 2016 before going one step further a year later.
This new cohort of talented American players has already eclipsed that dismal decade for American men’s tennis and appearances in major finals should become a far more common sight toward the end of the decade.
It remains unlikely that any American man will break the 22-year grand slam at the 2025 US Open given the hegemony that Sinner and Alcaraz have enjoyed since the beginning of 2024, but it would be far from surprising if an American featured in the final once again. It is only a matter of time before America dines at the top table of men’s tennis once again.
American women are also enjoying a renaissance after a slump during the 2010s, although the dip in women’s tennis was nothing like the dip in men’s tennis.
But women’s tennis did suffer a mini-drought after Serena Williams claimed her 23rd and final grand slam title in Australia in 2017.
Only Sloane Stephens (US Open 2017) and Sofia Kenin (Australian Open 2020) won grand slam titles in the six years following Williams’ last hoorah, but American women have since bounced back with a bang.
Coco Gauff ended that short barren spell with a stunning victory at the 2023 US Open, with Gauff since claiming glory at the 2025 French Open.
Madison Keys also claimed her maiden slam title in 2025 after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January, while Amanda Anisimova ensured that an American woman has featured in all three of the slam finals this year by making the Wimbledon decider in July, where she lost convincingly against Iga Swiatek.
In fact, an American woman has reached the final of each of the last four grand slams, with Jessica Pegula reaching her maiden slam final at the 2024 US Open, where she lost in straight sets against Sabalenka.
Women’s tennis never suffered the same lull that men’s tennis did in the US and the rise of new stars such as Gauff, Keys and Pegula has ensured that women’s tennis did not experience the same void that men’s tennis did when legends such as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras hung up their rackets in the 2000s.
The retirement of Serena and Venus Williams, comparatively speaking, has transpired to be a smooth changing of the guard in women’s tennis, with Gauff leading the latest generation of American stars.
