The American men have not won it since 2003, when Andy Roddick grabbed it. Eventually, someone can finally do it again, but here, to win it in September would be surprising, given that none of the U.S. guys are not in the top 10. Maybe someone will go it, but whoever will, he must be totally locked in for two weeks.
Both of them top 3 men, the non-Americans, with Jannik Sinner, Novak, Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are favored, so to beat them, they have to really mix it up and put it away. Here the U.S. men:
No. 12: Taylor Fritz
It is very hard to say whether he can grind it with some big shots or he can miss a few crazy shots. He can explode when he is on fire, but he can also trip up. Fritz has had some terrific tournaments, but he also lost, early. If he gets hot, he could go deep in Flushing Meadows on the court. But he is going to have to prove it.
No. 13: Ben Shelton
The young player has had an interesting year, as he has changed some of his tactics and has also been more thoughtful. His forehand is now stronger, and his first serve is also very close on the lines. He does to rally, and he likes to celebrate, but also, day after day, he can make some medicare decisions. However, in New York, he will jump up and down. Yet, going very deep in will be surprising.
No. 14 Tommy Paul
Over the past two years, the 27-year-old has had a tremendous year, but can he go much further? He is so consistent, and he does like some really long rallies, so when he is feeling good, he can drive and nail it with a winner. Yes if you look at it, week after week, he can beat many players, but this season, he hasn’t beat anyone in the top 8. This time, he will have to earn it.
No. 16: Sebastian Korda
The Floridian was struggling for months due to his injury, but last month, he finally rose, winning Washington for the first time. He is a gigantic hitter when he is set up, and then he can hit it all around. However, he does push the ball, and he does get upset when he isn’t playing well. Yet when he is more thoughtful, then he can out-hit with the ball, just like when he reached into the semis at Montreal recently. He wants to show with the fans that he is darn good. Maybe he will, but he will have to leap over the wall and snare it.
No. 20: Frances Tiafoe
Up until two weeks ago, he wasn’t doing much at all, but then, he turned it around, reaching the final in Montreal. In the semis, he out-lasted against Holger Rune in a third tiebreak, and then the next day, Tiafoe went down versus the No. 1 Sinner. Oh well, at least he was trying, so when he is ready to play on the hardcourts, he will remember that in 2022, he reached the semis at the U.S. Open. He really wants to do it again. Yes, he is very fast and running, and he can play very consistently, but there are times when he isn’t sure what to do. This time, he can relax and be more patient. If he does, he certainly can go deep again as he said: “Insanely happy for the effort I had all week. Tennis is a funny sport, man. It’s been a really tough year,” Tiafoe said. “Since post—US Open, honestly, since I made the quarters there last year, I’ve struggled to put matches together, taking the game for granted and not having much gratitude. I am in a great situation now.”