Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev — these are just a few big-name tennis stars who were slated to pick up the game after Roger Federer retired, and Rafael Nadal not long after. Novak Djokovic was entering his twilight stage, and others were supposed to step up.
Unfortunately, that never really transpired because only Medvedev, among the group listed above, has a Grand Slam title, while the others have gotten close but not close enough.
The window for Zverev, Tsitsipas, and Medvedev may have closed for future Grand Slams, while that may not be the case for Fritz, as he presently stands as the biggest threat to the two players who are the true threats.
Serena Williams' former coach tags Ben Shelton as the future threat to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
While the others virtually failed to grab the bull by the horns, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner burst into the scene, and they have completely dominated tennis ever since. That said, there must be someone on tour who has the chops to rival Sinner or Alcaraz, or at the very least, give them some real, genuine trouble when it comes to the big matches.
Fritz, the top American in tennis right now, has gone the furthest when it comes to playing against Sinner or Alcaraz. He's met Sinner in a Grand Slam final and has beaten Alcaraz on big stages. Of the top-ten players in the ATP rankings, Fritz has long been seen as the one real threat to the big cats.
Fritz, however, has not broken through the Grand Slam barrier just yet, but unlike players like Zverev, Tsitsipas, or Medvedev, Fritz's window hasn't closed. That's where Ben Shelton enters the fold, the next best American on the men's tour, who has risen to stature quickly over the past two years.
Shelton keeps getting better and better with each year, and for that reason, among others, Serena Williams' ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, foresees Shelton as the likeliest candidate to match Sinner and Alcaraz toe-to-toe, above the others on tour.
“If you look at the margin those two guys [Alcaraz and Sinner] have above the other players, it’s difficult to imagine," Mouratoglou said when speaking with BBC. “I think the next guy will have to have a huge ego if he wants to be in the mix, so it can be someone like Shelton, maybe. He will have to make progress, but I think his confidence in himself and in his game is big enough.”
There you have it — a possible candidate that could challenge the best of the best from the mouth of the coach who coached the best of the best in women's tennis. Whether Shelton comes through on Mouratoglou's hopeful prediction is something only time will tell.
As for Shelton, he will be embarking on a 2026 tennis season that should bring much anticipation and expectation for him. It would be quite something if someone — anyone at all — could challenge Alcaraz or Sinner and come out on top. If it's Sinner, we'll all know he had the right amount of confidence to do it.