By Dave Worsley*
Home-grown players having a good run at the US Open in New York this year include: from left, Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton. Photo: AFP
Opinion - US tennis is on the rise. The 2023 US Open in New York is showing US players can enjoy themselves on court, reveal their personalities and they may help boost the sport worldwide.
With Serena Williams gone the sport in the United States has needed players the fans can latch on to.
The last US winner of the men's title was Andy Roddick in 2003. He was the last US man to make the final in 2006.
Since then it has been lean pickings for the men with Roddick making the quarters a few times before his retirement while another prominent player John Isner has also made the quarters a few times. He announced his retirement after a five-set defeat to fellow American Michael Mmoh last week.
On the women's side the last home winner was Sloane Stephens who beat another US player Madison Keys in 2017. Prior to that, Williams won in 2014 and was a beaten finalist in 2018-19, when she had some controversial problems with the officiating.
The US has eight men in the top 50 with 20-year-old Ben Shelton the youngest and possibly with the brightest future. He is up against countryman Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals in what is expected to be one of the matches of the tournament - and it guarantees an American in the men's semifinals.
Ben Shelton celebrates after beating Tommy Paul in four sets, at the US Open in New York on 3 September. Photo: AFP
Both Shelton and Tiafoe have infectious personalities and play entertaining games with big serves, they like to charge the net and show a willingness to play shots.
Both also have great background stories.
Shelton, the son of a former pro tennis player, Bryan, attended college winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title and did so well as an amateur he turned professional.
Tiafoe, the current world No 10, is the son of immigrants from Sierra Leone and was raised at a tennis centre where his father worked as a labourer and then in maintenance.
Another player who has had a good year is Christopher Eubanks who made the quarters at Wimbledon.
Tiafoe, Shelton and Eubanks are all Black and could take the game to new levels in the United States with their smiles and styles of play.
Christopher Eubanks serves during his second round win over Benjamin Bonzi of France, at the US Open. Photo: AFP
If US players are doing well then more money is put into the game by big advertisers and sponsors. It's a win-win.
Additionally, this year has also seen Tommy Paul make the fourth round before being defeated by Shelton while world No 9 Taylor Fritz takes on Novak Djokovic in a quarterfinal, meaning three out of eight men's quarterfinalists are American.
Coco Gauff is the heir apparent in women's tennis for the US and possibly the world and she is just 20 years old. She loves the game, plays singles and doubles and is like a breath of fresh air for the sport.
Coco Gauff is the US' big hope in the women's game, Dave Worsley writes. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Her regular doubles partner is countrywoman Jessica Pegula, the third seed in the singles. Pegula has just lost to another American, Keys, in the fourth round.
Gauff and Keys are also Black, proving that tennis features in a cross-section of US society and no longer has to rely on ivy-league colleges to produce top players.
Tennis is a sport which looks to be going places with a smile on its face.
*Tennis journalist Dave Worsley is an RNZ contributor. He has covered 43 Grand Slams.
