'One of us is going to get it at some point' - Ben Shelton confident of an American man winning a Grand Slam in the near future

The wait for an American ATP player to win a Grand Slam singles title may soon be coming to an end, at least according to World No.7 Ben Shelton.

The Atlanta native has been one of the most in-form players on tour over the last few months. After falling to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, reached the semifinals in Washington and advanced to the semifinals at the ongoing Canadian Open.

Seeded fourth in Toronto, Shelton will take on compatriot Taylor Fritz in one of the two semifinals. This will guarantee an American man is in the final at the ATP Masters 1000 event, an occurrence that has become more frequent over the last few years.

Despite the success of Americans at the ATP Masters level, there has been a shortage of champions at Grand Slam events. Former World No.1 Andy Roddick was the last man to win a singles Major title, prevailing in front of home fans at the 2003 US Open.

Shelton believes America is very close to having an ATP Grand Slam champion

The 22-year old came close to reaching his first Grand Slam final at the 2023 US Open, but fell to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. However, Shelton's compatriots are also on the verge of taking the next step and bringing home a Major title.

Fritz reached the US Open final at last year's edition, finishing runner-up to World No.1 Jannik Sinner. Additionally, Frances Tiafoe also made a deep run in New Yor last year, losing to Fritz in the semifinals.

Following his quarterfinal victory over Alex De Minaur in Toronto, Shelton revealed he was certain someone would soon end the drought for an American ATP Grand Slam champion.
"No pressure, definitely motivation,” said Shelton. “I have no doubt that one of us is going to get it at some point. Who knows who it is, you guys just got to wait and see. I think American tennis is in a really good place."

Prior to Fritz's appearance in last year's final at Flushing Meadows, the last American to reach a Grand Slam final was Andy Roddick, who fell to Roger Federer at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.