There wasn’t a lot drama for the top-ranked American males on day one of many U.S. Open.
No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 6 Ben Shelton rolled to straight-set victories on Sunday afternoon within the first spherical at Flushing Meadows, dealing with their enterprise in matches by which they have been closely favored.
Nonetheless, it was a mandatory first step for Fritz and Shelton, who each search to turn out to be the primary American man to win the U.S. Open in 22 years.
Shelton cruised previous Ignacio Buse of Peru 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 within the event’s first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fritz, in the meantime, overcame an preliminary punch from one other American, One hundred and first-ranked Emilio Nava, to win 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Behind a serve he dialed up 136 mph, the 23-year-old Nava landed 5 aces within the hard-fought first set however solely 4 extra the remainder of the way in which as Fritz settled in.
“It’s just the first round of the Open,” Fritz, 27 mentioned. “Most [Grand] Slams in general, first round you come out, it’s a little nervy, and you kind of just get over the hump of the first set and then I can relax a bit and just play a bit better through the match. I’m just happy to get through that tight first set.”
Andy Roddick’s 2003 championship stays the newest U.S. Open — or Grand Slam of any variety — to be gained by an American man.
Final 12 months, Fritz turned the primary American to advance to the Open closing since 2006, however he misplaced in straight units to Jannik Sinner of Italy.
Fritz and Shelton are two of 4 People ranked throughout the ATP’s high 20, together with No. 14 Tommy Paul and No. 17 Frances Tiafoe.
Tiafoe is about to play Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan within the first spherical on Monday afternoon, whereas Paul is scheduled to face Elmer Moller of Denmark on Tuesday evening.
“This is the biggest stage for us, and we always seem to play our best,” Shelton, 22, mentioned after Sunday’s win.
“Frances plays the best tennis of the year here. I like to think that I do as well. Obviously, I [lost to] him in the third round last year, but still, one of my favorite matches of the year when I go back and watch it. One of the highest levels that I played all year in 2024. Obviously, Fritz was in the final, which is his best Grand Slam result.”
However for an American man to recover from the hump, he should emerge from a area headlined by Sinner, the world’s top-ranked participant, in addition to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who’s No. 2.
Sinner, 24, and Alcaraz, 22, have mixed to win the final seven Grand Slam tournaments and eight of the final 9. They confronted one another within the closing spherical of the earlier two, with Sinner profitable Wimbledon and Alcaraz claiming the French Open in comeback vogue.
Now, residence court docket shifts to Fritz, Shelton and firm, with the New York crowd ravenous for an American to ship a long-awaited title on their residence soil.
“It’s definitely never going to be a problem feeling really excited, pumped up, motivated on the court with the crowd getting behind you,” Fritz mentioned “I think it also adds a layer of pressure to it as well, that I’m playing my home slam, and I obviously want to have a good result. But yeah, it’s great to have the crowd behind you.”
The gamers are keen to finish the drought, too.
“There’s a lot of guys who are really hungry here, Americans who maybe haven’t had a run yet here,” Shelton mentioned. “But it’s just a matter of time. All of us are pushing to do our own thing, but also, for sure, cheering on the other guys.”
Initially Printed: August 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM EDT
