Australian Open: Ben Shelton finds the shots – and words – to make his mark

The 22-year-old faces one of the toughest tasks in tennis: beating Jannik Sinner on a hard court. But his evolution on and off the court has been impressive

When Taylor Fritz reached the final of the US Open four months ago, he became the first American man to play in a grand slam singles final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009. Finally, tennis fans in the United States had a reason to believe that the era of American men’s tennis futility was fading. And now, with Ben Shelton on the edge of a possible finals appearance at the Australian Open, it appears that, indeed, a group of American men’s players are set to make their mark (US women, it hardly needs to be said, have had no such problems making an impact at majors). If Shelton were to make the final it would be the first time since the 2005 Wimbledon (Roddick) and 2005 US Open (Andre Agassi) that American men have appeared in back-to-back grand slam finals.

This Australian Open has showcased the sudden depth and promise of a host of young Americans, including 19-year-old Learner Tien who defeated Daniil Medvedev on his way to the quarter-finals, and Alex Michelsen, 20, who also reached the fourth round after knocking off two top-20 seeds. They, along with veterans Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, comprise a coterie of American men’s players who are morphing into a cohesive, friendly group that are pushing each other to new heights.

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