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When Tommy Paul finished Roberto Bautista Agut with a haphazard net bead on Monday, it marked the first time in 23 years that three American men — Paul, Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda — had reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The last trio to do so was Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Chris Woodruff, now the current head coach at the University of Tennessee.
American tennis has emerged from the torpor that has set in since Andy Roddick’s victory at the 2003 US Open and the greatest barometer of success comes in the form of the updated ATP rankings on Monday. They will show 10 American men among the 50 best in the world.
The United States will occupy 20 percent of the top 50 in the world. Great things are happening.
Ben Shelton (left) and Jessica Pegula (right) are among the US stars shining bright in Australia
The 20-year-old turned professional last year, but is embarking on a fairy tale career in Australia.
First of all, it is important to insist that this is not a coincidence. Work has been done for years at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to improve the path and quality of the programs in which youth are nurtured.
It should also be noted that college tennis is proving to be an incredibly useful path to the top for America’s rising stars.
Ben Shelton, a former NCAA champion at the University of Florida, is the biggest example in Melbourne right now.
But Monday’s ranking represents a clear turnaround in the American tennis renaissance with nine of the 10 included aged 25 and under: Taylor Fritz (25), Frances Tiafoe (25), Korda (22), Paul (25), Jenson Brooksby (22), John Isner (37), Shelton (20), JJ Wolf (24), Reilly Opelka (24) and Brandon Nakashima (21).
On the women’s side, eight of the top 50 are from the United States.
Tommy Paul faces Shelton in all-American quarterfinal, the deepest he has gone in a major
Sebastian Korda (left) is rising while Taylor Fritz (right) is the highest ranked American male
“These guys are coming up, pushing each other,” said Dean Goldfine, one of Shelton’s coaches. the new york times.
“I think that’s one of the things that’s contributing to our success right now as a country.
‘We have these waves. It’s not just a guy here, a guy there. We have a lot of them, and I think there’s a friendly rivalry there.
The biggest statement in American tennis seemed to have come via Mackenzie McDonald as he knocked out defending champion and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.
McDonald would lose his next match, but Korda, who defeated 2021 and 2022 finalist Daniil Medvedev in his trip to the quarterfinals, took over, and Shelton, who has been the biggest upset to date.
Shelton had never played outside of the United States, never left the country before, but the 20-year-old Florida Gators alumnus now dreams of a fairytale career, one that could include a semifinal meeting with none other than Novak Djokovic.
Coco Gauff is barely 18 years old but already has experience of reaching a Grand Slam final
For Korda, Paul and Shelton, this is uncharted territory; none of them have ever reached the last eight of a Slam. But there’s also a sense of belonging, and with Shelton facing Paul, the US is guaranteed representation in the men’s singles final four.
Compare that to the 2022 edition, where there were just two American men in the fourth round and zero in the quarterfinals. The progress is remarkable, and it suggests no signs of unraveling any time soon.
Shelton, the first American in 20 years to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal before turning 21 since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2003, is turning heads in the locker room as well as among tennis fans.
“Honestly, if this is the way he plays day in and day out, the guy is in the top 10 in six months,” Alexei Popyrin said of Shelton, and the American didn’t lose once in their third-round matchup.
On the women’s side, great strides are being made as well, with Jessica Pegula’s consistency really raising the bar, and don’t forget Coco Gauff’s superstar quality.
Frances Tiafoe is a force to be reckoned with and is widely seen as a future champion.
Pegula, whose parents Terry and Kim own the NFL’s Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, is the highest-ranked player remaining in women’s singles.
He is through to his third consecutive Australian Open quarterfinal. This latest appearance is his fourth quarterfinal in his last five Grand Slam tournaments.
Having never reached a Slam semifinal, the key now for Pegula, and the American men still in contention, is to boldly take the next step.
“I feel more confident, I feel more experienced in this position,” said Pegula, following her 7-5, 6-2 win over Barbora Krejčíková.
‘I think I definitely feel a bit more grounded than in the past at those tournaments.
I’ve been playing the best I have in any of my other Grand Slam quarterfinals. I think that helps. I think I feel more experience coming here. I think my victory will give me a lot of confidence.’