Americans band together to surprise rivals
AMERICAN men’s tennis is witnessing a resurgence, with an unlikely trio all making a grand slam quarter-final for the first time since 2005, and they are thriving off each other’s success.
Ahead of the Australian Open, world No.9 Taylor Fritz and 17th-ranked Frances Tiafoe were the names on everyone’s lips after they led the US to glory in the inaugural mixed teams United Cup.
But it has been lesserknown players Ben Shelton, JJ Wolf, Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul who have grabbed the spotlight in a sign of renewed strength and depth in the men’s game.
Two of them, former college standouts Shelton and Wolf,
surged into the last 16 on their tournament debut, while Korda and the more experienced Paul have enjoyed their best grand slam ever.
While tennis is an individual sport, Paul said there had
been an element of group mentality in Melbourne, with each feeding off the other.
“Absolutely. I think we see people that we’ve played our whole lives, kind of felt like we’ve been around the same level as them our whole lives, and we see them doing big things in big tournaments,” said the 25-year-old. “We’re like ‘OK, I can do that’.
“At the same time I think we push each over, not just from results-wise, but when we’re talking to each other, we help each other, we push each other, we want each other to do well.”
The last time three American men reached a grand slam quarter-final was the 2005 US Open, led by Andre Agassi, James Blake and Robby Ginepri.
You need to go back 23 years for the feat at Melbourne Park, when Agassi, Pete Sampras and Chris Woodruff made the grade.