Grand Slam drought for U.S. men reaches 23rd year after Ben Shelton falls at U.S. Open

New York – The American men's Grand Slam drought has extended into a 24th year following Alexander Zverev's victory over Ben Shelton in the U.S. Open final on Sunday. Shelton, who was only a year old when the last American Grand Slam winner, Andy Roddick, won the U.S. Open in 2003, fell 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2 to the German at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Zverev expressed his disappointment, stating, "I'm sorry it's the wrong winner this year, but I did my job." Beating U.S. men in tennis has been quite common over the past quarter century, as Black players like Venus and Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys have excelled on the women's side. In the men's game, Roddick's last final came at Wimbledon in 2009, and another American man didn't reach a title match until Taylor Fritz faced Jannik Sinner in New York 15 years later.

Shelton expressed his eagerness to relive the excitement of playing on the biggest stage in tennis, noting, "Walking out on that court today, there's nothing like it. I've never felt anything like that before." The U.S. Tennis Association has acknowledged progress in player development, citing Fritz and Frances Tiafoe as examples of their efforts to improve the sport.

In a recent partnership with the American Tennis Association, the USTA aims to increase Black representation in tennis, a sport that has historically been overwhelmingly white. Shelton made history by becoming the first Black American man to participate in a New York final in 54 years, since the tournament's namesake, Arthur Ashe.