For 23 years, it has been the world’s most vexing trivia question: Who is the last American man to win a Grand Slam title?
Ben Shelton has always been one with the ability to change.
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No disrespect to anyone else who has carried the red, white and blue flag for more than two decades through men’s tennis since Andy Roddick won his title at the 2003 US Open. John Isner made his way to millions and won some very nice tournaments. The likes of Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey did very well in the Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal/Novak Djokovic era. Taylor Fritz has worked tirelessly to improve his game and continues to be a factor among the best players in the world.
But there is no divine right for any country, even one as large and athletically successful as the USA, to produce Grand Slam champions in a global game where only a few rise to the top. It takes everything: talent, development, the right circumstances, and maybe a little luck.
And Shelton, a 23-year-old born in Atlanta, raised to be the NCAA champion in Gainesville, Florida, and launched onto the world stage by his father’s elaborate coach/coach, is just one match away from the ultimate American legend.
After beating his friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the US Open semifinals, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, Big Ben can complete the journey on Sunday that has tormented so many of the best. For more than two decades, American Vanity has seen a few hours of good tennis from the rearview mirror.
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“It’s emotional,” Shelton said in an interview in his courtroom. “I need you guys on Sunday to bring this energy. I’m going to be here for it. I’m leaving everything in the hall. I hope you guys come and bring me back. Let’s do this for the USA.”
Of course, there is plenty of work to be done to turn Shelton’s dreams into reality. Alexander Zverev, the No. 1 seed at this US Open who finally broke through for his first Grand Slam title at the French Open this year, faces a huge threat in Sunday’s final.
But save for Zverev’s performance, he doesn’t come into a major final with the aura or ability of a Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, both of whom were injured this year after dominating the game in 2024 and 2025. It’s a perfect opportunity for Shelton to get his Slam under his belt before it starts to scar his psyche. It’s a rare moment to win one of the sport’s biggest prizes on home soil and lift the burden not only for himself, but for every generation of American players who won’t have to be questioned about the drought going on for too long.
It’s going to be great in Oklahoma. Whether it’s this weekend or sometime in the near future, Shelton is the first since Roddick to do it with the media.
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“I think he’s grown,” Shelton said. “I’m more mature, more focused. I know what my goals are. I know what my job is to get out here and I’m fully committed to those goals.”
Up until about four years ago, it would have been absurd to predict that Shelton would be one with the hopes of America on his shoulders.
According to the peers, late tennis focus, in one or rather to play football. It wasn’t in the smaller international world, where agents and academies scouted future champions. Even in the summer of 2022, when Shelton was invited to play a few ATP Tour events as the most hated champion of recent games, he returned to Florida where his father Bryan had built one of the country’s dominant programs.
Bryan Shelton, right, helped his son Ben on the cusp of a Grand Slam victory.
(Julian Finney via Getty Images)
But when Shelton began to hone his game against the real pros, it became apparent almost immediately that he was something different than a typical college player.
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Shelton’s lefty serve translated into the same devastating weapon that overwhelmed college opponents. His athleticism at 6-foot-4 was immediately apparent. His cockiness and stage presence bordered on suggesting that he had the mental fortitude to sing well in the most important moments.
And then, after enough competition that he had no choice but to turn around, Shelton left the country for the first time in early 2023 to play in the Australian Open. He scored four goals, so he had to shout to his country that he finally had a star on the men’s road who would finally lift one of the greatest trophies of the game.
Shelton’s progress from that moment until now has not been entirely linear. In the first two years as a pro, he would play above the order in the majors – in fact he showed his highest physicality in the best form of the five set – but he was not getting consistent results on the regular tour. Flash of talent and great weapons at times, but without the consistency to recall it from one week to the next.
Shelton and his father Bryan went to work. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Bryan Shelton was a solid pro-bat, classic server-and-volleyer, but he never had the complete game to compete with the best. After reaching a career high of No. 55 in 1992, he left the tour a few years later and began coaching, leading the Georgia Tech women’s team to the NCAA title in 2007.
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After Ben established himself on the road, Bryan left Florida to coach his son full time. As anyone who has followed tennis can tell you, parent-child coaching relationships are usually fraught with difficulties and emotional angst. But when Bryan watches his son compete, his attitude is always positive, always healthy, even in the midst of some struggles and bad losses.
As a team, they took the long view to pick up Ben’s developmental strengths (serve, hands, net skills) and spread them across the board to correct his weaknesses (return of serve, especially).
It has resulted in the best tennis of Shelton’s career: four tournament titles this year, including the recent Canadian Open, and now he has a chance to win his first Slam. Whatever happens on Sunday, New York will leave ranked 4th in the world and gets better every year.
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“It will be amazing to play in front of this crowd, and to feel his power, to be able to ride that wave. This is a tournament where I do everything I haven’t done before, I’ve broken barriers I haven’t broken before. I haven’t had success against them. [Zverev] once, but they do not frighten me. This is the perfect opportunity to put everything on the line.’
Or I will come sooner. The reason American tennis is preferred is that goodness knows long enough.