It has not been the most enthralling season for American tennis, but there remains some scope for excitement as we enter the grass-court season.
The outstanding assets on the men’s side in particular have enjoyed a mixed bag of results, with the likes of Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, to name just a few, having claimed just one title each aside from the latter.
He in particular is really struggling, and has actually dropped to 28th in the world, having started the year at 16th.
And yet, despite the dominance that many Americans might hope for from these talents, Fritz is still expecting big things from one of his compatriots ahead of this new leg of the ATP tour.
Taylor Fritz thinks Ben Shelton could thrive at Wimbledon
Speaking to the official ATP Tour X account, a whole host of stars sought to make their predictions ahead of a short but exciting period in the tennis calendar.
The grass-court season throws up new and refreshing challenges for players to contend with, as they move from the slower and more gruelling clay to a surface where speed and power are encouraged.
When asked who they felt their ‘dark horse’ for his portion of the season would be, Fritz was quick to come up with his answer, citing his American teammate Shelton.
He noted: ‘I’ll go with Ben. He likes to take chances and I know that he’s getting rewarded for the risks that he’s taking.’
Wimbledon really could be anyone’s tournament
Having just enjoyed one of the most unpredictable men’s Grand Slams in recent history, given Novak Djokovic’s struggles going into it and Rafael Nadal’s lack of fitness, Wimbledon promises much of the same.
Naturally, Carlos Alcaraz will remain the outstanding favourite as the defending champion, especially after adding the French Open to his trophy cabinet, but other than him there is no other truly dominant force to monopolise the competition.
Jannik Sinner could well thrive too, but then there is scope for players like Hubert Hurkacz, Ben Shelton and even Jack Draper to impress given how the grass suits their games.
The tennis world has become so used to seeing the likes of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer win almost every major title for the last two decades.
Their combined excellence has shattered the dreams of many of their fellow professionals, and led to a stunning monotony when it comes to predictions.
However, this refreshed landscape, where they are no longer the overriding dominant force, means that with each passing year that their influence wanes, unpredictability will flourish.
Especially given Novak Djokovic will be injured for Wimbledon, leaving a huge vacancy for someone to fill this year.
That is, unless Alcaraz and Sinner can find enough consistency to start dominating themselves.
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