It’s been 22 years since an American men’s tennis player won a Grand Slam. The American woman Coco Gauff managed the feat just two months ago when she beat the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open, becoming the first American woman to win a Slam on clay since Serena Williams in 2015. Gauff also won the 2023 U.S. Open, which is played on a hard court. Besides Gauff, American tennis players have struggled to compete at the highest level since the Williams sisters’ domination of the 2010s. 

In the two decades since Andy Roddick’s finest hours as a tennis player, defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 U.S. Open at the age of 21, the American men have shown promise but failed to live up to it. Roddick, who was known for his big serve and competitiveness, made three more Slam finals (all at Wimbledon) but never regained the sterling form he had displayed in 2003. The best American men who followed Roddick—John Isner, Taylor Fritz, and Frances Tiafoe—have all had their opportunities to break through at a Slam but have thus far failed to make good. 

Winning a Slam requires excellent form, incredible stamina, and a little bit of luck. The three times Roddick made the Wimbledon final, he happened to cross paths with Roger Federer, considered the greatest men’s tennis player of all time. So much for luck. Tiafoe, who became the first black American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since Arthur Ashe, benefitted from a weak field in 2022 before inevitably falling to the rising Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller where Tiafoe had his chances but could not capitalize. Isner and Fritz had their moments, too: Isner in 2018, when he lost a six-hour marathon to Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon semifinals, and Fritz in 2022, when he failed to get past Rafael Nadal in a five-set match in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. 

Only one other American man has found himself in the deep water at a Slam. That man is Ben Shelton, a 22-year old Georgia native who lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2023 U.S. Open in a match that was never close. 

Shelton’s game has grown a lot since that loss two years ago. Known for his tenacious left-hand serve, Shelton’s weaknesses threatened to render him a “serve bot,” a term used to describe players who struggle to perfect the well-rounded game needed to win the big tournaments. But Shelton, backed by his father-coach Bryan, has shown massive growth in 2025, losing only to Alcaraz and the Italian superstar Jannik Sinner in the three Slams this year. Shelton’s backhand, which was always targeted by the top players, is suddenly flush, allowing him to keep up in long rallies and access his huge forehand to overpower most in today’s game.

Shelton, who played one year of college ball at the University of Florida, had it all going in Canada over the past two weeks. He defeated six players en route to his first ever ATP 1000 title, an achievement that bodes well heading into the U.S. Open at the end of August. Shelton is now ranked #5 in the world and defeated #4-ranked Fritz in straight sets on Wednesday night. Shelton looked dominant in that performance as Fritz struggled to keep up with Shelton’s pace and suddenly accurate backhand. 

On Thursday, Shelton looked as strong as ever, battling back from a first-set loss to the Russian Karen Khachanov. The first thing Shelton did after winning his first major tour title on Thursday in Canada was run up into the stands to hug his father Bryan. “What an awesome relationship they have,” remarked the Tennis Channel commentator as the two men embraced. It was a lovely moment for Shelton’s father, who himself was a low-level tour player for nearly a decade in the ’80s and ’90s. At the highest level, tennis has been marred by controversial relationships between players and their coaches. But not the Sheltons. It’s nothing but smiles, support, and consistency. And Shelton’s game has grown leaps and bounds as a result. 

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Speaking during the trophy ceremony, Shelton took the high road, first congratulating his opponent Khachanov before praising the Lord. “I want to thank God,” said a beaming Shelton. “I feel so blessed. Just to have opportunities like this, not many people in life get to experience things in life like this. The joy I feel today is not just because of the win but because of the people I get to spend everyday with.” 

Then Shelton, who has been derided by some for his expressive celebrations in a sport that prizes humility, shared his trophy with the assembled ball boys. It was a moment that speaks volumes to who Shelton really is: a down-to-earth American, surrounded by his family, striving for greatness in a world that too often rewards mediocrity. 

Shelton is next scheduled to appear at the Cincinnati Open, which he enters as the fifth seed. Sinner and Alcaraz will feature in the final tune-up before the U.S. Open, and it will afford Shelton one more opportunity to play against the two best men in the world before the American Slam in New York. Whether Shelton can compete for the Open title remains to be seen, but his performance in Canada these past 10 days proves he is a serious contender with the focus required to topple the sport’s best. However it pans out, Big Ben Shelton will have a country behind him when he enters next month’s tournament in New York. Here’s hoping we see something special.