Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff are two of the leading names in American tennis, and also two of the youngest.
Having succeeded the likes of Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz and Sloane Stephens, to name just a few, this duo are now seeking to overthrow those ahead of them in an effort to turn the US back into a dominant force within the sport.
Naturally, Coco Gauff is the closest to such a goal given she is just third in the WTA world rankings, but her form going into this year’s US Open is patchy, to say the least.
Meanwhile, Ben Shelton has plenty of points to defend after last year’s breakthrough triumph in New York, which he will want to build upon.
However, before the intense competition gets underway, this pair combined for the pre-tournament festivities.
Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff play together ahead of US Open
Although this American doubles partnership lost to the combination of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, it seems like great fun was had all around.
However, there has been one particular flashpoint that the US Open have sought to widely publicise, poking fun at what Shelton did to Gauff.
With the former having won her service game, as the 21-year-old volleyed home a winner, she approached her partner to congratulate him with a high-five.
Too engrossed in his own triumph, Shelton completely missed Gauff, to which she simply high-fived herself and moved on.
The majority of tennis fans have taken this in the jovial manner it was intended, with one writing: ‘Ben is getting hype and forgetting Coco lol’.
Another supporter commented: ‘Ben, you didn’t have to do my Coco like that’.
Which American has the best chance of winning the US Open?
Whilst Shelton and Gauff will likely hold the bulk of the American hope at winning their home Grand Slams, there are arguably a bunch of alternatives who will go into the event in far greater form.
One such example is Jessica Pegula, who comes into the tournament having won the Canadian Open and reached the final of Cincinnati as well.
Emma Navarro impressed in the former, but bowed out early in the latter, whilst Danielle Collins could enjoy a fairytale end to her career with a fine run at the US Open as well.
Meanwhile, Paul is arguably the most well-rounded of the male American prospects, having enjoyed a fine season no matter the surface.
Fritz could thrive on hard courts, but vastly underperformed in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Thus, Shelton and Paul are like the two male favourites alongside Pegula for the women.
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