Americans make cool history ahead of U.S. Open

On Tuesday, Fritz and Shelton beat Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur, respectively, in straight sets to set up their All-American showdown. Shelton's 6-3, 6-4 win over the Aussie De Minaur had significant implications as the two men are locked in a close ATP Rankings battle that could determine the seedings for the U.S. Open. 

With the win in Toronto, Shelton moved within 410 points of sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic, who won't be seen in action until Flushing Meadows, and could realistically be seeded lower than Shelton and De Minaur. 

The win on Tuesday also marked Shelton's first ATP 1000 semifinal, which doesn't include his final four appearances at the 2025 Australian Open and 2023 U.S. Open. The 22-year-old expressed excitement about facing his countryman for a shot at claiming his first ATP title.

"He's a big-match player," Shelton said of Fritz, via Associated Press. "He's been carrying the flag for the United States in the big tournaments as of late. He's clutch, serves well. We're great friends. It's a match that I'm really excited about."

As for Fritz, the win all but secures his place as a top-four seed in the U.S. Open, with a chance to move into the top three if he wins the Canadian Open and makes a deep run at Cincinnati next week.

Last year, he became the first American to reach the men's final at the U.S. Open since 2006 and the first finalist at any major in 15 years. Since then, he has built on his good form with a semifinal appearance at this year's Wimbledon and two ATP titles at Eastbourne and Stuttgart.

Fritz now owns 13 wins over top-20 players since the 2024 U.S. Open, behind only the three players ranked ahead of him. Will his consistent run finally lead to an elusive major at the U.S. Open? 

Shelton believes that whether it's him or Fritz, an American is ready to end the 22-year-old grand-slam drought for the country.

"I have no doubt that one of us is going to get it at some point," he said of the elusive major. "Who knows who it is? You guys just got to wait and see … American tennis is in a really good place."