U.S. Open door is wide open, and an American man must walk through it and win the title
American men's tennis is guaranteed its first US Open finalist since the field lost its two biggest obstacles: world number one Jannik Sinner withdrew before the tournament with a knee injury, and Novak Djokovic was knocked out in the first round. Ben Shelton then beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarter-final, setting up a semi-final against fellow American Frances Tiafoe on Friday and ensuring an American man will contest Sunday's final for the first time in years. With Andy Roddick still the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, back in 2003, the piece argues this is the best chance yet to finally end that 20-plus-year drought.
Shelton, who had never beaten Alcaraz in 13 previous meetings by American men against him in majors, came from a set down to win a match that finished at 3:33am. Tiafoe overturned a two-set deficit against fellow American Alex Michelsen to reach the last four via a fifth-set tiebreak. With Alexander Zverev, who won his first major at this year's French Open, seen as the strongest remaining threat but not at the level of Sinner or Alcaraz, the article contends the American pair now face their clearest route yet to a first men's Grand Slam title since Roddick's win 23 years ago.
In short
- Sinner withdrew injured; Djokovic and Alcaraz were both beaten early
- Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe meet in Friday's semi-final
- No American man has won a Slam since Roddick in 2003
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
This is an unusually strong opportunity for an American man to end the long Grand Slam drought: Sinner is absent, Djokovic and Alcaraz are out, and Shelton and Tiafoe have secured an all-American semi-final. Shelton’s win over Alcaraz and both players’ resilience suggest they can take advantage, while the remaining draw appears less daunting than it would have been with the sport’s leading players present.
The case against
A favourable draw creates an opportunity, not an obligation or a guarantee: Zverev remains a formidable opponent, and either American would still need to win a final against an elite field. Shelton and Tiafoe have shown grit, but one dramatic run cannot erase the uncertainty of best-of-five tennis or the quality of whoever reaches Sunday. Calling this their clearest route yet may also understate how much depends on the next matches.
Explained simply
The US Open is one of tennis’s four Grand Slam tournaments, the sport’s biggest events. The men’s singles draw began with the world’s top players, including Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, but neither remains in the competition.
Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are American players who have reached the semi-finals, where they will face each other. That guarantees an American man a place in the final, against the winner of the other semi-final.
Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the US Open in 2003. The result matters because it gives a new generation of American players a chance to end a long wait for a major men’s title.