Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe play in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday night in an all-American showdown. The winner will get the opportunity Sunday to try to break the Grand Slam drought for American men, which stretches to Andy Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open title.
Regardless of who wins, and whether they eventually hoist the trophy, the future is bright for U.S. men’s tennis.
There are currently 14 American men in the top 100, more than any other country (France and Argentina are tied for second with 10). A decade ago, at the end of the 2016 ATP Tour season, there were only seven men from the U.S. in the top 100. Ten years before that, in 2006, there were eight.
To find a time with more American depth in the top 100, you’d have to go all the way back to when Ben Shelton’s dad, Bryan Shelton, made the cut. At the end of the 1994 season, 19 of the top 100 men were American, including Bryan at No. 84.
The U.S. had more strength at the top back then, with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, and Michael Chang not far behind at No. 6. But don’t sleep on the high-end talent today. Six Americans rank in the top 20 of the live rankings—Italy has three players, and no other country has more than two.
