Andy Roddick won the US Open back in 2003, and since then his name has become immortal. Why? Well, it’s been two decades since the former ATP icon clinched a major trophy for America. Two decades have gone by, but no home-grown talent has succeeded in having been able to replicate what he did a long time ago. This season is already over with no American man coming close to creating history on the biggest stage. While the wait still continues, it seems a rising talent has finally emerged while being the last hope for home fans. Is it Taylor Fritz or his compatriot Frances Tiafoe? Well, none of these two, to be honest. Then who?

Patrick McEnroe, the younger brother of 7-time major champion John McEnroe, recently sat down with The Daily‘s host Michael Kosta for a tennis-oriented discussion. But the most intriguing section of their interaction happened to be about who can actually end America’s 22-year-old long wait in slams when it comes to the ATP circuit. When Kosta suggested potential contenders like Fritz (who entered the US Open final last season before losing to Jannik Sinner), and even Tiafoe, McEnroe came up with his own pick.

The former French Open doubles champion simply said, “Ben Shelton maybe has the best chance” while backing the 22-year-old talent. But why not someone like Fritz, who’s currently the World No.4 as well?

Explaining how it’s been difficult for Fritz to make it happen, McEnroe said, “The world got a lot better.” He simply implied that the competition has been so tough that the 27-year-old hasn’t found a way to accomplish his slam dream. “In tennis, Taylor Fritz is the fourth or fifth-best tennis player on the planet. But he’s got Sinner and Alcaraz. Before that, he had Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer. So that’s the challenge for the tennis player. These guys are amazing players.”

Coming back to McEnroe showing confidence on Ben Shelton (an ex-NCAA prodigy), he’s not the only one to think so. It appears few other tennis figures believe the youngster has got a massive potential.

Serena Williams’ former coach believes Ben Shelton has slam-winning potential

While he may not have won multiple titles this season, Ben Shelton showed his true might last month. Earlier in August, he finally managed to clinch his maiden ATP 1000 Masters tournament. At the Canadian Open, he bested Karen Khachanov in the summit clash. After Andy Roddick, he became the youngest American to win a 1000-level event in two decades.

Earlier this year, former World No.1 Jannik Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill lauded Shelton while making a huge prediction. “I think eventually he’s a definite top ten player.” And guess what? Shelton justified his words. After his sensational French Open run, where he made it to the fourth round before losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old broke into the top 10.

Following his emphatic win at the Canadian Open, 23-time slam queen Serena Williams‘ ex-trainer Patrick Mouratoglou shared his own take on Shelton’s slam-winning chances. “For Ben Shelton, winning a Masters 1000 is huge. This is the last stage before winning a Grand Slam, so it’s big.”

“Ben (Shelton) has things that the others don’t. He has this incredible serve, second of all, he’s a lefty, which is a big advantage too. I would say, third, he’s really unpredictable, and he has the belief.” Shelton’s last campaign at a major in 2025 didn’t end on a positive note. At US Open, he couldn’t move beyond the third round. He was forced to retire due to an injury against Adrian Mannarino. Going forward, he will look to recover soon and get back on the court.