Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz are two of America’s top tennis talents.
They two of those who carry the hopes and dreams of American citizens who are desperate to see one of the men win a Grand Slam.
This has not happened since 2003, when Andy Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero to win the US Open.
The American men of today are trying to put an end to that barren run and they can believe they are in position to do so.
What do Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz think about the state of American tennis?
While the American women have continued to have success at the highest level since Serena Williams’ heyday, it has been a different story for the men.
They have struggled at Grand Slam and Masters 1000 level, with only Taylor Fritz managing to become the first American man to reach a major final since Roddick in 2009.
In 2022, the current ATP World number seven was also the first man from America to win a Masters 1000 since John Isner back in 2018.
He has been a consistent player over the years and the likes of Ben Shelton, 22, burst onto the scene and became a mainstay in the top 15, while also having two Grand Slam semi-finals to his name.
Their compatriots Tommy Paul and Francis Tiafoe have also been producing some solid tennis and are positioning themselves to have success. Fritz and Shelton are pleased to be part of a generation of American players and think they can inspire the next generation of players from their country.
“I think we now have several generations of players. In my generation, we have improved a lot over the years by pushing each other. I think that helped us all,” Fritz said.
“I guess we all came up at the same time, and when one person achieved a good result, the others knew they could do it too. That’s what got us where we are today and perhaps also motivated the next generation.”
Shelton added: “It’s been a long time coming. We have so much talent, so many great players who can shine on the big stage.
Everything happened at once in Paris. I know we hope to go even further in the Grand Slams: the round of 16, the quarterfinals, the semifinals—we want to win.
“I’m excited about American tennis. We’re in an excellent position. There’s a lot of hype around American tennis and I love being a part of it.”
Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton aiming for grass court success at the Stuttgart Open
Fritz and Shelton are now competing on grass ahead of the Wimbledon Championships.
They are playing in Germany’s Stuttgart Open and will aim to not only build momentum on the grass but also to claim their first titles of the season.
Fritz has reached the quarter-finals following a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics.
Shelton on the other hand, faced Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka and claimed victory to advance to the last eight.
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