American cavalry aiming to end US Open title drought

The US Open has not seen an American lift the men’s singles trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003. But with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner out with injury, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz competing for the first time in over four months, and Novak Djokovic without a title in his last 11 Grand Slam appearances, home favourites could capitalise on one of the most open Opens in years. The Straits Times looks at six in-form American men seeking their maiden Major title.

Ben Shelton, 23

World ranking: No. 9
Career-high ranking: No. 5
No. of US Open appearances: 4
Best US Open result: Semi-finals (2023)
Best Grand Slam result: Semi-finals (2023 US Open, 2025 Australian Open)
2026 win-loss record: 33-13
2026 titles: 4 (Dallas Open 500, Munich Open 500, Stuttgart Open 250, Canadian Open 1000)
Key stat: Shelton and Sinner are the only ATP players to win on all three surfaces this season – hard court, clay and grass.

America’s No. 1 is enjoying the best season of his burgeoning career. Shelton has lifted a career-best four tour-level trophies in a year, two of them on hard courts. He contested three all-American finals, overcoming Taylor Fritz in Dallas and Stuttgart, before defeating Brandon Nakashima in Montreal. He won the Canadian Open without dropping a set, becoming the first man since Rafael Nadal (2018-19) to retain that Masters title. Shelton reached the US Open semi-finals as a wild card in 2023 and will return to Flushing Meadows as a serious title contender.

Taylor Fritz, 28

World ranking: No. 10
Career-high ranking: No. 4
No. of US Open appearances: 10
Best US Open result: Final (2024)
Best Grand Slam result: Final (2024 US Open)
2026 win-loss record: 31-15
2026 titles: 1 (Washington Open 500)
Key stat: Fritz went on an eight-win streak on American soil before Nakashima denied him a semi-final spot in Cincinnati.

Fritz has been hampered by a knee injury throughout this season but that did not stop him from winning in Washington. His powerful serve and forehand make him a formidable threat but he has yet to shed the unwanted tag of “best American male player not to win a Major”. He knows what it takes to reach the final at Flushing Meadows, where Sinner ousted him in straight sets in 2024. While the Italian will not be in the draw, Djokovic will. If Fritz meets the 24-time Major champion, he will need to make a breakthrough, having lost all 11 of their previous encounters, including a pair of US Open quarter-final defeats.

Frances Tiafoe, 28

World ranking: No. 12
Career-high ranking: No. 10
No. of US Open appearances: 11
Best US Open result: Semi-finals (2022, 2024)
Best Grand Slam result: Semi-finals (2022, 2024 US Open)
2026 win-loss record: 37-16
2026 titles: 1 (Halle Open 500)
Key stat: Only Alexander Zverev (46) and Sinner (44) have more ATP level main draw wins than Tiafoe this year.

“Big Foe” will be a big adversary for those in his US Open path. The showman loves to play in front of a frenzied New York crowd and saves his best tennis for Arthur Ashe Stadium appearances. He just fell short of winning the biggest title of his career on Aug 23, falling to Arthur Fils in the Cincinnati Masters final, but does not have to wait long for another opportunity. Tiafoe already reached new heights in June, when he claimed his first 500-level crown in Halle.

Learner Tien, 20

World ranking: No. 15
Career-high ranking: No. 12
No. of US Open appearances: 4
Best US Open result: First round
Best Grand Slam result: Quarter-finals (2026 Australian Open)
2026 win-loss record: 26-15
2026 titles: 1 (Geneva Open 250)
Key stat: In 2022 and 2023, Tien did a rare US Open double, competing in the junior and men’s championships.

Tien may still be searching for his first men’s main draw win at Flushing Meadows, but that belies his potential to go deep this year. The 2023 US Open junior finalist and 2025 ATP Next Gen champion has gone from strength to strength. He has stunned former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev twice at hard-court Grand Slams. He backed up his Australian Open second-round, five-set upset in 2005 with another Melbourne victory (6-4, 6-0, 6-3) in the fourth round this year. He is capable of playing his best tennis on North American hard courts too, making the semi-finals in Delray Beach and quarter-finals at Indian Wells. He also put together a semi-final run in Montreal, only to lose to eventual champion Shelton.

Brandon Nakashima, 25

World ranking: No. 17
Career-high ranking: No. 17
No. of US Open appearances: 6
Best US Open result: Fourth round (2024)
Best Grand Slam result: Fourth round (2022 Wimbledon, 2024 US Open)
2026 win-loss record: 31-17
2026 titles: 0
Key stat: He is the first player ranked outside the ATP top-20 rankings to reach the semi-finals at the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens in the same season since 1990.

Nakashima might not have a title so far this year but he goes into the US Open with some of the best form on Tour. He is the first American man since 2011 to reach the semi-finals in Canada and Cincinnati. Compatriots denied him at both Masters events – Shelton stopped him in Montreal before Tiafoe got the better of him in Ohio.

Tommy Paul, 29

World ranking: No. 21
Career-high ranking: No. 8
No. of US Open appearances: 8
Best US Open result: Fourth round (2023, 2024)
Best Grand Slam result: Semi-finals (2023 Australian Open)
2026 win-loss record: 36-16
2026 titles: 1 (US Men’s Clay Court Championship 250)
Key stat: He is the first American to defeat the top seed at the Cincinnati Open since John Isner beat Novak Djokovic in 2013.

Paul will head to Flushing Meadows with confidence. His latest victory came against Cincinnati Open top-seed Alexander Zverev, taking out the reigning French Open champion in the last 16 after saving a match point in the second-set tie-break and winning four straight games in the decider to complete the turnaround. In his 50th tour-level quarter-final, Roland Garros runner-up Flavio Cobolli defeated him. But having recorded two wins over Alcaraz on hard courts in his career, Paul will feel he can beat anyone on his day.