As it stands today, and arguably as widely held by popular opinion, Taylor Fritz stands tall as the top American player on the ATP Tour. He has more than deserved that position, having won multiple titles in each of the last four years—two of them this year—and holding the world's No. 4 spot in the ATP rankings.
Another thing going for Fritz was his appearance in the US Open finals last year, where he became the first American man to reach a Grand Slam final since Andy Roddick in 2009 at Wimbledon. While Fritz has not captured a major just yet, he's more than qualified himself to be America's No. 1 primarily due to that feat.
All of that being said, however, the pressure from his American compatriots isn't far behind him. Usher in Ben Shelton, who is making his case to catch up to Fritz and possibly pass him eventually. If a deep US Open run is in Shelton's immediate future, and Fritz falters early, the door is open.
Ben Shelton's rise up the ATP rankings puts Taylor Fritz spot within reach
Unless you glance at the ATP rankings on a day-to-day basis, Shelton's current place at No. 6 might be a shocker. Earlier in the year, he advanced into the top ten, but then, seemingly out of nowhere, he vaulted up two spots behind Fritz, who sits at No. 4.
Shelton's Masters 1000 win in Toronto in August played a significant role in his rise in rankings, and with his most recent US Open win against Pablo Carreno Busta, he's now 95 points behind Fritz. Shelton is playing the best tennis of his career, and this year's US Open event may be his welcoming party into legitimate Grand Slam competition.
Aside from Shelton's climb this year, though, he's been steadily making that climb since 2023, when he won his first tour title in Tokyo. Since then, he's captured one title per year, and given that he won his first Masters 1000 event this year, he's clearly capable of winning the big ones.
So, while Fritz has the years of experience and a handful of titles as his advantage over Shelton, a deep run for Shelton in New York could mean passing Fritz in the rankings and landing in the spot of America's No. 1 men's player.
The question is more focused on how Fritz plays over the next two weeks, however, more so than Shelton. If Fritz advances and, say, finds himself in a semi-final or even the finals, he likely holds onto his current top American status.
That said, there's no denying that Shelton is coming for Fritz, and he's hot on the trail. Will experience outweigh recent momentum? We're sure to find out. Regardless, it's an exciting time to be a tennis fan, as several top Americans on the ATP and WTA sides vie for home-court advantage and, hopefully, Grand Slam honors.