With the US Open grind fast approaching and Cincinnati already in full swing, the R32 spotlight now shifts to stars like Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz. But the spark of collective American tennis brilliance first lit up in Canada, where Coco Gauff and Taylor Townsend dazzled in doubles, and the new Masters champion Ben Shelton rose to the top. Now in Cincinnati, the ATP ace looks to unleash that same winning fire, rallying behind Gauff and Townsend as he reveals their impact, champions who, in his eyes, embody the grit, unity, and relentless drive fueling American tennis’ charge to greatness.

In his pre-tournament press conference at Cincinnati, Ben Shelton was asked about the surging wave of American influence at the Canadian Open and how his own triumph, alongside 18-year-old Canadian prodigy Victoria Mboko’s breakthrough, shapes the sport. Shelton didn’t hold back his admiration. “For me, it was really cool. It’s a diverse sport at the ‌top, especially right now. And it’s really cool to see young stars, new stars breaking through. I’ve watched a little bit, not as not too much of Mboko, but she’s really fun to watch. Amazing player. At 18 years old, it’s very very impressive, especially not just how she won, but also who she beat,” he said.

He then turned the spotlight toward his compatriots. “And yeah, like you said, Coco Taylor, obviously two people I’m really close with, playing mixed doubles with Taylor at the US Open. It’s a great opportunity for Americans in tennis right now, but just in tennis in general, I think that there’s a lot of hype around the sport,” Shelton remarked.

But for Shelton, the influence runs deeper than results. “I think that tennis is reaching a different demographic than it was before and that’s because of especially in the US stars like Coco and Francis and Taylor and but not just Americans, North Americans, Europeans too,” he explained. Smiling, he summed up the moment with a sense of pride. “It’s really cool for me to see,” Shelton concluded, a nod to a sport that’s expanding its reach while celebrating its rising stars.

It was a week where North American tennis painted its canvas in bold strokes. Coco Gauff, reeling from a singles exit in Montreal’s round of 16, refused to fade quietly. She lingered in Canada with unfinished business, doubles alongside fellow American McCartney Kessler. Their partnership, fresh and untested, became a spark that caught fire. Match after match, the duo carved through the draw, their crowning moment arriving in a knife-edge final. Against No. 3 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai, they struck gold: 6-4, 1-6, 13-11, a victory built on nerve and grit. For Gauff, it was her 10th doubles title, and a reminder that she thrives under pressure.

Before Gauff’s triumph, Taylor Townsend had already etched her name in WTA history. With the swagger of a champion and the determination of a grinder, Townsend clinched her place as the 50th player ever to rise to world No. 1 in doubles. She didn’t even need the title, a semifinal in Washington, D.C. was enough to leapfrog her regular partner Katerina Siniakova. It was the kind of achievement that cements legacies, not just rankings.

Meanwhile, Montreal had its own fairytale, written by an 18-year-old with fire in her veins. Victoria Mboko, carrying the weight of a sore wrist and the roar of a home crowd, staged a comeback for the ages. Down a set to former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, she clawed her way to a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win. From outside the top 300 earlier this year to world No. 24 now, Mboko joined an elite Canadian club alongside Faye Urban and Bianca Andreescu, champions of their own soil.

But the North American symphony wasn’t complete without a note from the men’s stage. In Toronto, Ben Shelton delivered a performance with history on the line. Swinging big, smiling bigger, he shattered a 21-year American drought at the Canadian Open. It wasn’t just victory, it was vindication.

Ben Shelton credits his father’s hidden influence on his success

Before setting foot in Cincinnati, Ben Shelton had already rocketed to a career-high World No. 6, his momentum blazing like a meteor across the tennis sky. In Toronto’s electric night, he staged a pulsating finale at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, conquering Karen Khachanov in a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) war of nerves and fire.

But beneath the roar of the crowd, there was a quieter voice guiding him: a razor-sharp compass in the form of his father and coach, Bryan Shelton. It wasn’t just talent turning the tide; it was wisdom whispered in battle. Midway through the second set, Bryan’s words pierced through the noise. Ben listened, adjusted, and surged forward with a bolder, more aggressive stance, daring to meet Khachanov’s firepower head-on. Gratitude spilled out after the match as Shelton admitted, “He was right.”

“Karen was bullying me around the court. The way he hit his forehand tonight, the way he was cutting off the court, the way he was serving, it felt like I had a freight train coming at me. So it was uncomfortable to move forward. The ball was coming at me even faster,” Shelton said, painting the picture of an opponent in full force.

That discomfort ignited change. “But I started being able to redirect, get some big shots off of my own, and kind of flip the momentum of that match. So that was huge for me. I love the way that he coaches me. He usually leaves stuff up to me. He gives me a lot of suggestions. He knows me better than anyone in the world, so he’s well qualified to give me those suggestions.”

Now, Cincinnati looms not as a mere tournament, but as a proving ground. The Canadian triumph has set the rhythm, the beat still pulsing in his veins. The question is: can Shelton keep that music playing all the way to the US Open, striking every note with the same fearless precision?