A consistent force boasting enviable strength among the women’s elite for decades, the United States is again building depth in the men’s game with four players ranked in the top 20.
The men have closed the gap, but a teenager living up to her potential to become a major champion is the undoubted highlight of the year for the Stars and Stripes.
American fans will have plenty to cheer for at Australian Open 2024, with 32 American players directly qualifying for the main draw.
Coco Gauff
It was back to the drawing board for 19-year-old Coco Gauff after she succumbed in a Wimbledon boilover to qualifier Sofia Kenin, a fellow American, in the opening round this year.
The teenager admitted the frustration of that defeat only strengthened her resolve to work harder and the switch to her home swing on US hard courts was immediately fruitful.
She sounded her intentions with a defeat of Maria Sakkari for her first WTA 500 trophy in Washington and followed it up with a hoodoo-shaking win over Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati, before going on to beat Karolina Muchova for a maiden WTA 1000 trophy.
Having come in in hot at Flushing Meadows, Gauff was unstoppable as she held out world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka to become the first American teenage US Open champion since Serena Williams 24 years ago.
Taylor Fritz
The top-ranked US man for the third year running, 26-year-old Taylor Fritz spearheaded the United States’ United Cup triumph to begin the season, winning all five singles and his three mixed doubles alongside Jessica Pegula.
The Californian peaked at world No.5 in February, the highest-ranked American since Mardy Fish in 2011, after collecting his fifth career title in Delray Beach. He impressed at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he beat defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas to make the semifinals, but his best typically came on hard courts on home soil.
A trophy run in Atlanta preceded his first US Open quarterfinal in New York, where he was outclassed by eventual champion, Novak Djokovic.
Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula is the US’s pillar of consistency for the past two years, having reached the quarterfinals in five of her past eight majors and maintaining her place inside the top five.
She found her best at the WTA Finals in Cancun, where she defeated four top-eight opponents in straight sets to reach the final.
RELATED: Five reasons why Jessica Pegula is ready to win her first AO
Victory over Swiatek en route to the US’s United Cup triumph in Sydney was her first over a world No.1 and paved the way for her second straight Australian Open quarterfinal.
At Wimbledon, Pegula became the fifth American in the past 25 years to reach the last eight in their career at all four majors.
The 29-year-old’s standout run came in Montreal, where she snared her second WTA 1000 title, and in Seoul, where she triumphed in her mother’s home city.
Pegula also built a strong partnership with Gauff in 2023, peaking at world No.1 in September.
Madison Keys
Madison Keys has joked about Frances Tiafoe calling her “mum”, a dig at seemingly having been on tour forever. In fairness, she did win a tour match at 14.
Some 14 years later, she has gone on to become a top-20 fixture for all but one year since 2015 and a Grand Slam finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2017.
Keys enjoyed a brief return to the top 10 this season after seeing off No.3 seed Pegula and Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova to reach her third US Open semifinal.
READ MORE: Madison “Major” Keys back on the Grand Slam semifinal stage
It was further validation of the move to bring on her fiancé, Bjorn Fratangelo, as coach in June.
It produced immediate results when she claimed the silverware in Eastbourne and reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Tommy Paul
Almost seven years had passed since Tommy Paul’s Grand Slam debut before he finally cracked a Grand Slam fourth round appearance at Wimbledon in 2022.
A gifted junior, Paul’s ascent was steadier than some of his peers, but his last-16 showing was only a glimpse at his true potential.
Wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal came in the last half of 2022 before his breakthrough Australian Open semifinal in January.
The 26-year-old was the first American man to progress as far at Melbourne Park since Andy Roddick in 2009.
A repeat defeat of then-No.1 Alcaraz carried him to a maiden Masters 1000 semifinal in Toronto in August.
Frances Tiafoe
Unbeaten in five singles matches as part of the US’s United Cup triumph to start the year, Tiafoe hit the ground running.
A first Masters 1000 semifinal at Indian Wells preceded a two-month mid-season stint in the top 10, a significant milestone not just for the 25-year-old but for US men’s tennis.
When he saved a match point against Jen-Lennard Struff to land his first grass-court title in Stuttgart in June, it lifted him to world No.10 and signalled the first time in more than 11 years two American men were ranked in the top 10.
Tiafoe had a shot at back-to-back US Open semifinals before succumbing to younger compatriot Ben Shelton in the last eight in September.
Ben Shelton
With his explosive lefty serve – some clocked at almost 240km/h – and court coverage, Shelton is already being earmarked as among the best US prospects in decades.
The 21-year-old skyrocketed past his father and former pro Bryan Shelton’s best ranking of world No.55 this season to crack the top 15 in October, following his first tour title in Tokyo.
His standout runs in 2023 have all been on hard courts. On his first trip outside the US in January, he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals on debut before Paul had his measure.
Dialled in at Flushing Meadows – where his now signature phone hang-up celebration became known – Shelton’s maiden Grand Slam semifinal ended in defeat to eventual champion, Djokovic.
Before his Tokyo breakthrough a month later, he claimed his biggest win over world No.4 Jannik Sinner to reach the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Sebastian Korda
Blessed to have two former pros as parents – his dad Petr Korda won the 1998 Australian Open – Sebastian Korda made an impressive start to 2023.
HONOUR ROLLS: Australian Open champions
After holding a championship point against Djokovic in the season-opening Adelaide final, Korda shook off the disappointment to stun world No.8 Daniil Medvedev en route to his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.
A right wrist injury sidelined him until April, but upon his return he reached semifinals at Queen’s Club, Zhuhai and the Shanghai Masters – where he posted a second win over Medvedev – and was a runner-up to Adrian Mannarino in Astana.
Best of the rest
Late-blooming Christopher Eubanks was a bolt from the blue on grass when he scooped his first career title in Mallorca before he beat seeds Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals on debut.
EUBANKS: A dream debut at Wimbledon
A quarterfinal at home in Atlanta lifted him inside the top 30 for the first time in July.
After a troubling few years following her Grand Slam title run at Australian Open 2020, former world No.4 Kenin rediscovered some of her best in 2023 to return to the top 30.
The 24-year-old surprised second seed Sabalenka in Madrid and seventh seed Gauff in the opening round at Wimbledon before a semifinal at the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara.
