Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are carrying the weight of American men’s tennis on their shoulders. No American man has lifted the trophy at SW19 since Pete Sampras in 2000, but hope is flickering once again. Tennis legend John McEnroe summed it up best: the U.S. is “closer than we’ve been in a while.” But the challenge ahead is colossal. Standing in their way are the World No.1 and No.2, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have claimed every Grand Slam title since the start of 2024. The new Big Two have dominated the sport, but belief still lingers that Fritz and Shelton have the firepower to shake up the script.

Fritz has “touched some grass,” as he cheekily put it this summer, with two grass-court titles to his name, one at the Boss Open in Stuttgart and another at his beloved Eastbourne, where he now holds a record-extending fourth title. But this isn’t Stuttgart or Eastbourne. This is Wimbledon. And here, the turf belongs to Alcaraz.

The 22-year-old Spaniard isn’t just the defending champion. He’s a phenomenon with a jaw-dropping 19-match Wimbledon win streak and 23 straight victories overall. Fritz, by all measures, enters the match as the underdog. And yet, according to Petchey, there’s one thing that might just tilt the scale, however slightly, in the American’s favor.

Petchey delved into everything from Raducanu’s form to Wimbledon’s biggest storylines at the ‘Grand Slam Daily’ podcast. But when he turned his attention to the looming semifinal showdown, his words were enough to raise an eyebrow or two.

“They played at Laver Cup obviously and just one other time. Carlos has got the better of him,” Petchey noted. “Carlos will go into that as firm favourite, but for a guy who has already won two grass court tournaments and has shown prowess on this surface numerous times over the last years, not just obviously getting through to the last four, I give him a puncher’s chance. I actually think it’s a benefit for him that his path has not crossed much with Carlos in the past and there is still that unknown factor.”

The head-to-head backs up Petchey’s point—if only just. Alcaraz leads Fritz 2–0 in career meetings. Their first encounter came in the 2023 Miami Open quarterfinals, followed by a 2024 Laver Cup round-robin match. Both times, Carlos Alcaraz walked away with the win. But this will be their first meeting on the sport’s grandest stage, and in tennis, new chapters can turn in unexpected ways.

In contrast, Ben Shelton knows his opponent well. Their quarterfinal bout will mark his seventh meeting with Jannik Sinner, and the numbers don’t favor him. The Italian leads their head-to-head 5–1, with wins at this year’s Australian Open semifinal and last year’s Wimbledon fourth round. Five sets have gone to tiebreakers, but Shelton has yet to win one. Still, there’s belief in the 23-year-old American’s corner. On his podcast Served, Andy Roddick said, “I’ll tell you, two weeks ago, if you would have said this match, I’m like, ‘Oh, Sinner all day.’ Ben’s got a puncher’s chance in this match. I can’t say he’s going to beat Sinner three out of five at a major yet.”

There’s also the question of Sinner’s fitness. After taking a fall in his last match, the World No.1 is managing a sore elbow. It may not stop him, but if Shelton ever had a window, this might be it.

Both Americans are ready to make history.

Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz celebrate American tennis boom

With 13 men and 18 women currently ranked inside the world’s Top 100, there’s no denying it: American tennis is thriving. And according to two of its rising stars, this resurgence is no coincidence.

For Ben Shelton, the secret lies in a shared journey. “We all emerged at the same time,” he said earlier this year. “When one achieved a good result, the others knew they could, too. That’s what has brought us to where we are today and perhaps has also motivated the next generation.”

Taylor Fritz echoed that sentiment, pointing to the depth of talent and competitive culture across age groups. He said, “We now have several generations of players. In my generation, we have improved a lot over the years by pushing each other. I believe that has helped all of us.”

With Fritz and Shelton leading the charge, American men’s tennis is knocking on the door of Grand Slam glory once again. The road is steep, but the belief has never been stronger. Can they pull the upset of the tournament? Experience the Championships as they unfold with EssentiallySports’ real-time updates.