Will there be a new American champion at the US Open this year?
With Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova ranked in the WTA top 10, there is every chance that another American lifts the US Open trophy in September.
On the men’s side, the chances of a new American champion are lower.
Jannik Sinner is in red-hot form, Alexander Zverev is playing the best tennis of his career, and Carlos Alcaraz – a seven-time major champion – is set to make his long-awaited return to the Tour.
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However, the likes of Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will certainly do their utmost to upset the apple cart in New York later this year.
If an American does walk away with the US Open title this year, they would be the sixth American player to win a singles title since 2000.
Venus Williams and Andy Roddick are among the American US Open title winners since 2000
Venus Williams became the first American US Open champion of this century when she beat compatriot Lindsay Davenport in the 2000 Women’s Singles final.
Venus successfully defended her title a year later, beating her sister, Serena, 6–2, 6–4 in the final.
Serena avenged her loss to Venus in 2022 – beating her sister 6-4, 6-3 to win the first of her six US Open singles titles.
Pete Sampras also won his fifth and final US Open title that year, defeating Andre Agassi in what would be his final match before retirement.
Andy Roddick became the 21st different American US Open Men’s Singles champion in 2003 when he triumphed against Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Roddick remains the last American man to win a Grand Slam title.
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Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title – At the 2003 US Open…
Around 14 years later, another new American champion was crowned.
Sloane Stephens won her one and only Grand Slam title at the 2017 Open, despite entering the event through her protected ranking.
She defeated 15th seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0 in the final.
Coco Gauff became the sixth American champion of this century when she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 final.
American US Open champions since 2000
- Serena Williams – six titles
- Venus Williams – two titles
- Sloane Stephens – one title
- Coco Gauff – one title
- Pete Sampras – one title
- Andy Roddick – one title
“I knew she was going to go out there swinging, and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to win this match the way I like to play,” Gauff said after winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. “I don’t like to play the way that I played today. Running around the court, it’s fun, but, it’s not as fun as hitting winners.
“I knew going into the match that was going to have to be the way I was going to have to play today against her.”
The last American player to reach a US Open singles final
A year after Gauff’s triumph, Taylor Fritz found himself in the US Open final.
The American, seeded 12th, beat Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev en route to his first Slam final.
Fritz was ultimately beaten by Jannik Sinner, 3-6, 4-6, 5-7.
It was Sinner’s second Grand Slam title and his first at the US Open.
“It was a really tough match for me,” Fritz admitted during his post-match press conference. “I think I had a plan of what I wanted to do going out, but a lot of… I mean, some parts of it I did well, and a lot of parts of it I didn’t, definitely didn’t, I guess, hit the ball as well as I expected to.
“That’s something that’s big if I wanted to just go back and forth and ball-strike with him, because he’s such an amazing ball striker.
I felt like I served, improved the serve a lot in the second set. The first set my serve was really struggling. Then third set started to kind of put it together a bit more with just hitting the ball, hitting my forehand a little bit better.
“Put myself in a good position to win the third. But he played a good game when I went to serve it out.
But that’s just kind of how it goes, when you’re playing… he’s the best player in the world right now.
“My plan A is not working. The plan B that I fall back on, you know, would normally be just like bringing everything in, being a little bit safer, grinding it out.
“That works, along with my serve, against a lot of other players. But against him, I tried to kind of bring it down, not be as aggressive, and he’s just gonna bully me a little bit too much.
“It was tough that I guess my plan A wasn’t really working for me until the third set I started to kind of get it going.”
