Chris Evert made some interesting remarks regarding the potential of American players Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz.
Men’s tennis in the United States is on an upward trajectory with five men currently in the top 20 for the first time since 1997.
The three aforementioned players are locked in a battle to become the undisputed American number one and they are directly behind one another in the ATP rankings.
They are relishing the chance to compete at their home Grand Slam of the US Open and make a big impression.
Chris Evert says who has the most potential out of Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz
Currently Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz are very evenly matched and their performances in 2024 reflect that.
Paul, the Queen’s champion and Eastbourne winner Fritz have claimed two titles each so far this season, while Shelton has one championship to his name this year.
Fritz is currently the American number one and is ranked 12th in the world with 3,120 points, while Shelton is just 10 points behind in 13th. Paul currently has 2,985 points in 14th and these standings could completely change by the end of the US Open.
They each have plenty of potential to win the biggest titles in tennis, and Chris Evert predicted which of the three has the most potential to achieve this.
“Ben Shelton I think has the highest ceiling, I’m not sure if he is there yet. He still needs to get that consistency and maybe better choice of shot,” Evert told ESPN.
“Tommy Paul has beaten all the top players. Taylor Fritz. They are definitely quarter-finalists, second week US Open players but I’m not sure if one of them is ready to win the title this year.”
Who will Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz play at the US Open?
After Shelton reached the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals last week, he will commence his US Open campaign against Dominic Thiem, who is retiring this year.
Like Shelton, Paul has a difficult test in his opening match against Lorenzo Sonego. The 27-year-old is entering the US Open after poor showings in Canada and Cincinnati.
Fritz will face Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in round one. The 12th seed is aiming to go beyond the Grand Slam quarter-finals for the first time in his career.
He came close at Wimbledon in July but Fritz will be desperate to end his Grand Slam quarter-final losing streak on home soil.
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