On the first day of the U.S. Open, there wasn’t much drama for the top-ranked American men.
In matches where they were widely fancied, No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 6 Ben Shelton easily won in straight sets on Sunday afternoon at Flushing Meadows in the first round.
For Fritz and Shelton, who both aim to become the first American men to win the U.S. Open in 22 years, it was nevertheless an essential first step.
At Arthur Ashe Stadium, Shelton easily defeated Peruvian Ignacio Buse 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the opening match of the competition.
At Louis Armstrong Stadium, Fritz defeated 101st-ranked Emilio Nava, another American, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 after overcoming an early punch.
The 23-year-old Nava struck five aces in the hard-fought opening set, but Fritz settled in and he only managed four more the rest of the way. He dialed up 136 mph behind a serve.
Fritz, 27, stated, “It’s only the first round of the Open.” In most [Grand] Slams, you come out the first round feeling a little nervous, and you sort of just get over the first set’s hump. After that, I can relax a little and play a little better the rest of the match. Just getting through that difficult first set makes me thrilled.
The most recent U.S. Open or Grand Slam victory of any kind to be won by an American male is still Andy Roddick’s 2003 title.
Fritz lost to Jannik Sinner of Italy in straight sets last year, making him the first American to reach the Open final since 2006.
Together with No. 14 Tommy Paul and No. 17 Frances Tiafoe, Fritz and Shelton are two of four Americans placed in the ATP’s top 20.
Paul will play Elmer Moller of Denmark on Tuesday night, while Tiafoe will play Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan on Monday afternoon in the opening round.
For us, this is the largest stage, and we always seem to give it our all. Shelton, 22, remarked following Sunday’s victory.
It is here that Frances plays the greatest tennis of the year. I like to believe I do, too. When I go back and watch it, it’s still one of my favorite matches of the year, even though I [lost to] him in the third round last year. It was one of the best levels I played in 2024. It goes without saying that Fritz’s best Grand Slam performance was in the final.
However, an American man will need to overcome a field that includes Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, ranked No. 2, and Sinner, the top-ranked player in the world, if he wants to overcome the hump.
Together, Sinner, 24, and Alcaraz, 22, have won eight of the previous nine Grand Slam competitions. Sinner won Wimbledon and Alcaraz came back to win the French Open when they faced each other in the final round of the previous two.
With the New York fans eagerly awaiting an American to deliver a long-awaited title on their home land, home court now shifts to Fritz, Shelton, and company.
“I think it also adds a layer of pressure to it as well, that I’m playing my home slam, and obviously I want to have a good result,” Fritz said. “It’s definitely never going to be a problem feeling really excited, pumped up, and motivated on the court with the crowd getting behind you.” However, it’s wonderful to have the support of the crowd.
The players are also keen to put an end to the drought.
According to Shelton, there are many Americans who may not have run yet and a lot of guys who are quite hungry. However, it’s only a question of time. We’re all pushing ourselves to do our best, but we’re also definitely supporting the other guys.
