The question looms over the U.S. Open each year as the drought persists.
Who will be the next man from America to win the Queens tournament?
Although Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003, more than 20 years ago, he is still the only person to do it. At any of the four Grand Slam competitions, that was the final title an American man has won.
Even though Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe have all achieved top-10 rankings in recent years, indicating that U.S. men’s tennis has been improving, nobody has been able to make an impression at the country’s largest tennis tournament.
At the Open last year, Tiafoe stated, “There’s a window.” The game has a gap in it. Three greats were playing simultaneously and won competitions. It goes without saying that you had some sleepers win the U.S. Open out of the blue.
In fact, Novak Djokovic is 38 years old, while Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both retired. Between 2004 and 2023, that international three won 13 Opens.
Fritz defeated Tiafoe in an instantly iconic five-set marathon last year, marking the first time two American men have faced each other in a U.S. Open semifinal since 2005.
Fritz advanced to the Open final for the first time since Roddick in 2006, but Jannik Sinner of Italy easily defeated him in straight sets to win the 2024 title.
It’s been a while since John McEnroe won four Open titles, or since Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors each won five.
As Shelton stated last year, “Everyone wants that big next Grand Slam or next big moment for an American star.” However, I believe that the steady advancement and growth is what will actually push Americans closer to the top of the game.
Fritz is ranked fourth in the ATP rankings going into this year’s Open, followed by Shelton at number six, Paul at number fourteen, and Tiafoe at number seventeen.
However, the 2025 U.S. Open, which starts Sunday and ends on September 7, has many other storylines besides the U.S. men’s quest for history.
Here are some additional events at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to anticipate.
The U.S. Open last year didn’t go how Coco Gauff had intended.
Gauff had high hopes going into last year’s tournament after winning the Open at the age of 19 in 2023, but she lost to another American, Emma Navarro, in the fourth round.
At the time, Gauff stated, “It is disappointing because I’m wanting to reach a different level.” However, I refuse to criticize myself and think, “This was awful.” Yes, I had higher expectations, but in the end, it happened, and I am confident that I can make it better.
Gauff bounced back to win her second major singles championship at the French Open this year.
Nevertheless, Gauff, ranked third in the WTA rankings, makes a comeback to the U.S. Open following a poor showing at the Cincinnati Open, when she lost to Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals after serving 16 double faults.
The 24-year-old Sinner would have been aiming for a Grand Slam tournament sweep this year if it weren’t for a collapse at the French Open.
Instead, Sinner won the first two sets in Roland-Garros in June but fell to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.
Nevertheless, as the defending champion and top-ranked player in the world, Sinner has a lot to gain at this year’s U.S. Open.
Sinner would become the 12th man to win three Grand Slam championships in a single season after taking home the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year. In 2023, Djokovic was the latest to do so.
Even though Sinner has had a great summer, Alcaraz has also had a successful few months.
Sinner defeated Alcaraz in four sets in the Wimbledon final following his stunning victory at Roland-Garros.
The world’s top two players would face each other at the end of the Grand Slam competition for the third time in a row if they met in the U.S. Open final.
Sinner and Alcaraz have already faced each other at the Open, with Alcaraz prevailing in four sets in their 2022 quarterfinal encounter.
Venus Williams will play in her first Grand Slam event in two years when she enters the Open as a wild card.
She made a similar appearance in the Open in 2023 but lost in the opening round.
In 2000 and 2001, the 45-year-old Williams won the Open. The last time the seven-time Grand Slam champion made it to the Open’s second round was in 2019.
After losing in the first round of the Cincinnati Open this month, Williams stated, “I feel amazing coming off of this match,” according to ESPN.
That implies that I won’t need to treat injuries throughout the upcoming time frame [before the U.S. Open]. I can now focus on speed and power rather than just making sure I’m healthy before the tournament.
Djokovic’s performance at the last two U.S. Opens could not have been more dissimilar.
In 2023, he defeated Daniil Medvedev to win the tournament and set a record with his 24th major victory.
However, Djokovic said he played some of the worst tennis he has ever played after losing to No. 28 Alexei Popyrin in the third round last year, which was an all-time upset.
The 2023 Open will still be Djokovic’s final Grand Slam triumph. Additionally, Djokovic has stated several times this year that he is unsure about how long he will play, even if he has not signaled that retirement is near.
“I hope to continue playing for a number of years,” Djokovic stated at Wimbledon in June. I would like being in good physical and mental health so that I could continue to play at my best. That’s the objective. But at this point, you never know.
Djokovic, like Williams, is therefore a must-see at the Open this year.
There are other Americans vying for U.S. Open success besides Fritz, Tiafoe, Shelton, and company.
Additionally, two American women, Jessica Pegula and Navarro, want to improve on their performance at the competition from the previous year.
The 31-year-old Pegula, who was born in Buffalo, lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the Open final the previous year.
Pegula, currently ranked fourth in the world and still searching for her first major title, made her first trip to a Grand Slam final.
Navarro is also aiming for her maiden Grand Slam victory.
The native New Yorker’s finest major event finish to date is her journey to the Open semifinal last year.
At the competition last year, Navarro, 24, also fell short against Sabalenka. She is ranked No. 11 in the WTA rankings going into this year’s competition.
