Americans have best chance to win men's U.S. Open since 2003

Following an excellent quarterfinal round in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, four American tennis players remain in this year’s U.S. Open. 

With Francis Tiafoe and Ben Shelton set to face each other in the semifinals, an American men’s tennis player is guaranteed to compete in the finals for the eighth time this century. Tiafoe or Shelton will be the first African American men’s player to make it to the finals since 1968. 

How Americans have performed at the U.S. Open

The 2026 tournament marks the return of American players dominating the court at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Once upon a time, the United States ruled the U.S. Open year after year in both the men’s and women’s brackets. Arthur Ashe, the namesake for the main court of the U.S. Open, won the inaugural tournament in 1968. That same year, Billie Jean King fell in the finals to Great Britain’s Virginia Wade, although King would go on to win four U.S. Opens in her career. 

In the 58 years of the tournament, 86 Americans have advanced to the finals, with 45 taking the trophy home. The U.S. has more titles in the tournament than any other country by a long shot, highlighted by significant players like Serena Williams (six titles) and John McEnroe (four titles). 

However, American players haven’t seen the same level of success in the 21st century. Serena and Venus Williams terrified opponents for nearly two decades with a combined eight championships, but in the time since Serena’s last title in 2014, only two Americans have won the tournament: Sloane Stephens in 2017 and Coco Gauff in 2023. 

Gauff’s win became her first Grand Slam title, and she has become a formidable opponent with two majors, including last year’s French Open. However, the last two U.S. Open titles have gone to Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Americans both times: Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova. 

American men haven't had as much success as women at the U.S. Open

The men’s side has seen an even longer drought. Two Americans have won the tournament since the turn of the century, with Andy Roddick being the last one to win in 2003. Taylor Fritz had an opportunity to break the streak in 2024 but fell to Jannik Sinner in three straight sets. 

Roddick’s last win in 2003 and Pete Sampras’ retirement in the early 2000s gave way to the era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who won virtually every major in the 2000s and 2010s. Zero Americans made it to the semifinal round from 2010-20. 

Starting in 2021, however, American tennis players came back to dominance with multiple late-round appearances. Tiafoe and Shelton made it to the semifinals in 2022 and 2023, respectively, while Fritz advanced all the way to the finals in 2024. This year, Tiafoe and Shelton certified that an American will once again be in the final match of the tournament on Sept. 13. 

The road to this year’s semifinals proved to be bumpy for both players. Tiafoe overcame a two-set deficit in the quarterfinals against Alex Michelson, another American, and won a fifth-set tiebreaker to punch his ticket to the next round. That same night, Shelton faced off against Carlos Alcaraz, last year’s champion, in a match that lasted until 3:33 a.m., when Shelton won off an ace in the fifth-set tiebreak. 

In the women’s tournament, Gauff coasted through the early rounds, winning four straight matches without dropping a set going into her quarterfinal draw against Mirra Andreeva. The challenger won the first set, but Gauff rebounded to take the next two and send herself onward. Similarly, Pegula advanced to the semifinals after losing two sets in the whole tournament. 

This could be the year for both American men and women tennis players

Compared to the remaining players in both brackets, this year could be the best chance for the Americans to take the men’s and women’s titles. Gauff looks to capture her third major and her second title at the U.S. Open, while Pegula will play for revenge against Sabalenka, who defeated her in last year’s finals, in the semifinals. 

Tiafoe and Shelton are fighting for their first career majors; neither has ever made it to the final match of a Grand Slam tournament. On the other side of the court will be either Alexander Zverev, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, or Botic van de Zandschulp, an underdog who unexpectedly advanced to the semifinals as the lowest-ranked player remaining. 

With both players coming off two remarkable quarterfinal matches, the stage is set for Tiafoe and Shelton to determine who will represent the U.S. in the finals. Either player would be the first African American to play in the finals since Ashe in 1968. They will have an opportunity to become the first American to win the tournament in 23 years.