It has been almost 22 years since an American men’s tennis player found glory on the major stage. When Andy Roddick hoisted the US Open title in 2003, only a few would have predicted this drought. Is it because of the rise of the ‘Big 3’? Talking about this series of failures during Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic’s prime days, Brad Gilbert once said, “If someone had told me that at the time, I would have said, ‘That’s f—ed up.’ Up until that point, we just always expected that American men would be winning because we always had been.” Although quite a few players made a deep run in the majors in the last few years (including Taylor Fritz’s 2024 US Open final appearance), they failed to deliver when it mattered the most. But wait a minute! Is there a light at the end of the tunnel at the 2025 French Open? Well, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul have looked solid in this tournament, and they’ve now also achieved an astonishing feat in this tournament. What’s it, though?

Despite witnessing these failures over the last few years, in 2022, during an interview, Hall of Famer Tracy Austin claimed, “I’m feeling good about the men’s tennis, better than I’ve felt in years because I think there are a number of names that I can say might be able to win a major in the future.” Who were those names? Well, Ben Shelton then made his main tour debut and had also stunned Casper Ruud at the second round of the 2022 Cincinnati Masters. It was his first win against a Top 5 opponent, then.

On the other hand, in that same year, Frances Tiafoe not only made it to the SF of the US Open but also secured his place inside the Top 20, becoming America’s new number 2. Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz had also established their names on the bigger stages of the game. Coming back to the present day, from rising stars, they’ve now transitioned themselves into superstars of American men’s tennis. Although at the 2025 French Open, the highest-ranked American men’s player, Taylor Fritz (rank 4) had to face an early exit at the hands of Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, the other three have now secured their spots in the fourth round of this mega clay court event.

It’s also the first time for all three men that they have reached the second week of Roland Garros. The last time a similar thing happened was way back in 1995 when American tennis legends Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang had made it to at least the fourth round. Interestingly, in all the previous 23 French Open editions (2002-2024), the US had no more than one man in the fourth round. Only a small handful of American men, including Taylor Fritz in 2024 and Andy Roddick in 2009, have reached the fourth round in Paris.

But none of them reached the last eight! It has been almost 22 years since an American reached the QF in Paris. It was Andre Agassi who had reached his ninth and final French Open QF in 2003. On this note, it is also Agassi who is the last American man to win the French Open (1999). What do Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton have to say on this?

Ben Shelton reveals the secret to success for American men at the 2025 French Open

Ben Shelton defeated Italy’s Matteo Gigante in the third round 6-3,6-3,6-4. With this win, he has now become the fourth youngest American man to reach the fourth round at all four Grand Slam tournaments. But talking about the game-changer behind American men’s surge at the 2025 French Open, he said, “A lot of us Americans, we play the best when the lights are shining bright, and I think TNT has done a great job of that so far for us this year. I know for me, my friends back home see stuff on TNT and Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights. It’s like there’s a lot of hype around the tournament, and you know, one person aside from me who plays well with some hype is Frances Tiafoe.”

He believes that this wholesome coverage has not only given their family and friends to watch them in action but also given the players an extra bit of energy and encouragement to deliver their best. On the other hand, Frances Tiafoe defeated his compatriot Sebastian Korda in the third round by 7-6(6),6-3,6-4. Following that victory, he praised Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton for stepping up when it mattered the most for the Americans on clay.

He stated, “I think we are all pushing each other and working hard. There’s a window in the game, a lot of guys see a lot of opportunity and it helps when you see peers do well. It’s becoming a normality that we are going deep in Slams and having a look in, it’s not a surprise anymore.”

How far do you think these three can go at the 2025 French Open? Share your thoughts in the comment box.