America was so close, yet so far, from seeing one of its players hoist the trophy in Queens.
Now two-time slam winner Jannik Sinner overcame American Taylor Fritz and his home-court advantage at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, continuing a dominant hard-court year with a straight-sets finals victory. The title briefly seemed wide open after Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s unexpected early exits, and a handful of Americans used the occasion to make deep runs.
Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Fritz—all of whom were seeded in the top 20 or better—advanced to at least the third round, eliminating top 10-ers Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov along the way. Fritz and Tiafoe, who had knocked Shelton out in the third round, faced off in a neck-and-neck semifinal match before Tiafoe ran out of gas in the fifth set, allowing Fritz to become the first American man to play in a U.S. Open final since Andy Roddick in 2006. That match also marked the first all-American semifinal at a Grand Slam since 2005, when Andre Agassi faced off against Robby Ginepri in Flushing Meadows.
The women’s side was similar for the Americans, with top-15 seeds Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula both advancing to the semifinals. Navarro fell to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in her semifinal match, and Pegula put up more than a fight in the final, losing 7-5, 7-5. Pegula took down No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and Navarro bested No. 3-seed American Coco Gauff in three sets, leaving the women’s bracket just as open as the men’s.
Though no Americans ultimately prevented either Sabalenka or Sinner from winning consecutive hard-court slams, the results suggest that the tide may be shifting for the U.S. of A.
American men have had their fair share of deep tournament runs over the years, but the lack of titles is concerning. Fritz is the only American currently in the ATP top 20 to win a Masters 1000 (the most prestigious non-major tournaments) title over the last five years, which shows how difficult it’s been for anyone, not just Americans, to get results. But of the three juggernauts of 2000s men’s tennis— Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer—only one remains, with youngsters Alcaraz and Sinner filling the void.
World No. 15 Sebastian Korda didn’t have the U.S. Open he expected, losing in the second round, but he’s improved dramatically over the last year. He recently won the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. and shows a lot of promise. Shelton’s another prodigy who’s shined over the last couple years, reaching the semis at last year’s U.S. Open. He won his second ATP event this year in Houston and possesses a powerful serve that can take him far.
Tiafoe, Fritz and Tommy Paul are the “veteran” American players and have all made a semifinal or final appearances at slams. They’ve all proven capable of winning a major tournament, but haven’t broken through just yet, leaving Alcaraz and Sinner as the go-to favorites for the time being.
On the women’s side, the U.S. Open reaffirmed that American women’s tennis is here to stay after Gauff’s victory in 2023. No. 6-seed Jessica Pegula made a tremendous run to the finals before falling to Sabalenka 7-5, 7-5 and No. 13-seed Emma Navarro continued her career-best year by making the semifinals in Queens. Gauff, however, didn’t meet the high expectations that she set last year, failing to make a single final this season at all tournament levels.
Despite Gauff’s subtle decline, Navarro’s improvement combined with Pegula’s consistency signals that American women will contend for titles both now and for the next several years. On the men’s side, however, it’s a bit of a different story.
The contrast between the American men’s and women’s sides is that the women always have a legitimate contender at nearly every tournament. Gauff has been a top-three player for a while and merely switched places with Pegula in the most recent rankings. Navarro moved up four slots to No. 8, and Madison Keys stayed in the top 30 despite dealing with a hamstring injury.
On the men’s side, there hasn’t been anyone who’s consistently been ranked third or higher. Rankings don’t mean everything, but the stark difference between the men’s and women’s successes suggests that having a player ranked third or higher is important. Those details are crucial during slams because of seeding and matchups, in addition to getting to play on center court more often.
While this weekend is cause for celebration, one strong showing doesn’t mean much in the long term. If the men want to catch up with the women, one of the five top-ranked men needs to make a push in the rankings. Fritz moved up to No. 7 in the most recent rankings, but he and his fellow countrymen still have a long way to go before they break through.