Why this week could bring an end to the great American tennis chase

No American man has won the US Open singles title since world No.1-turned-podcaster Andy Roddick in 2003.

That was also the last time an American man won any grand slam singles title. But the great American chase – the tennis version, not the 1979 Bugs Bunny/Road Runner flick – might finally be about to end.

Four men from the host nation – Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien – remain in contention for this year’s US Open title, including the first three already advancing to the quarter-finals.

A proud country that boasts such tennis greats as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Don Budge, Bill Tilden and, of course, Roddick, is starved of major success, at least on the men’s side.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka have effectively passed the torch to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in torturing the Americans.

The title drought is the noose around the neck that all American men who show any promise inevitably wear. No other nation has more men inside the world’s top 100 than the United States’ 14, headlined by top-10 stars Shelton and Taylor Fritz.

Roddick hates the “pass-fail” narrative that accompanies the current generation as they try to end a barren grand slam period that has stretched more than two decades – but even he knows he must talk about it.

Speaking pre-tournament in a live edition at Flushing Meadows of his popular Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roddick praised how Fritz openly tackled the constant questions about when an American man might finally win a grand slam.

“Why lie?” Fritz said. “We all want to win one. We all want to be the one to do it. Like, why say anything other than that?”

Fritz was runner-up to Italy’s Jannik Sinner at the 2024 US Open. Shelton made the semi-finals at the 2023 US Open and last year’s Australian Open. Frances Tiafoe did the same at the US Open in 2022 and 2024, while Tommy Paul reached the last four at the 2023 Australian Open.

It won’t be Fritz who ends the drought this fortnight. He lost in the third round from two sets up against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

“I don’t even know what to say. I don’t really want to talk to anybody, see anybody,” Fritz said afterwards.

It won’t be Paul, either. On Monday (AEST), he ran into the buzz saw that is seven-time major champion Alcaraz, losing 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. It was every bit as straightforward as the scoreline suggests.

Alcaraz (wrist) is playing his first tournament since April, so there was optimism that the Spaniard might be more vulnerable and the Americans might be able to capitalise, on top of Sinner being out injured and Djokovic suffering a first-round exit.

“It sucks, you know?” Paul said.

“It felt like he’s [Alcaraz] playing at a completely different level than me … I could have played a lot better and still lost that match.”

But one thing that can always be counted on with the American men is they will keep on coming.

Big-serving Michelsen breezed past 27th-seeded Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-4 shortly after Paul’s defeat to book his maiden grand slam quarter-final spot.

The “Big Foe” is at it again, too. He followed Michelsen into the elite eight when he took out 2021 winner Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in his beloved Louis Armstrong Stadium, which he refers to as “the people’s court”, as Nick Kyrgios does with John Cain Arena at Melbourne Park.

There were deafening roars across the stadium throughout, and especially after, the 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) victory, which extended his perfect record to 10 matches on “Louis”.

They even have a “one, two, three, Foe” chant for him.

The NBA’s newest No.1 draftee, Washington’s AJ Dybantsa, and Los Angeles Sparks’ WNBA legend Lisa Leslie were among the stars in the crowd cheering Tiafoe on.

Then Tiafoe said this: “I’m playing to win. Let’s do something special!”

Shelton was the last American to progress for the day, thumping resurgent Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 inside two hours, and without facing a break point, to lock in an on-court date with Alcaraz, who has won all three of their clashes so far.

The winner of that quarter-final will face whoever progresses between Tiafoe and Michelsen. So, again, it is Alcaraz standing in the Americans’ way.

“[It is going to take some] special tennis,” Shelton said to American former world No.11 Sam Querrey’s on-court question about how he would beat Alcaraz.

“I think the level that he’s been playing at is really impressive. To not be playing for five months and to come out and do what he’s done so far in this tournament has been superhuman.

“We’re happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays, and I think it’s going to be fireworks on Tuesday night … I’m ready to go.”

There might even be double the reason to celebrate for American tennis, given women’s third seed Jessica Pegula moved into the quarter-finals on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 dismissal of Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

Pegula will face countrywoman Emma Navarro if the latter can defeat Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in the last match of the day.

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who is hunting a title three-peat, and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova earlier set up a quarter-final showdown with contrasting wins over the United States’ Taylor Townsend and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, respectively.

In the lower half of the draw, 2024 champion Coco Gauff and rising star Iva Jovic will face off on Tuesday in an all-American battle for another last-eight berth.

Watch the US Open live on 9GO!, 9NOW and Stan Sport.

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Marc McGowan is a sports reporter for The AgeConnect via X.AdvertisementAdvertisement