After years of hard work, Madison Keys is finally living her tennis dream. Last week, she defeated Aryna Sabalenka and clinched her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Interestingly, it was Keys’ first major title in 46 attempts, signaling what went behind her triumph Down Under. However, her title-winning run wasn’t the only thing to cheer for the American star, as she also made a massive move in the WTA rankings and drew praise from ex-ATP pro, Jan-Michael Gambill.

Following her win over Sabalenka in Melbourne, Keys rose seven spots in the latest WTA rankings to enter the top 10. She is currently placed in the seventh position, behind compatriot Jessica Pegula. Watching Keys’ massive rise, Gambill felt that it was a golden time for American tennis, with stars like Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz also thriving.

During The Inside-In Tennis Podcast, he said, “US tennis is on the up. It’s been on the up, the women have been doing great for a while and two guys in the top 10 as well, that’s pretty amazing. I think Tommy’s level is staying up there and Taylor’s level has been so good for the last couple of years, he’s on the Number 4 and that has inspired the other guys to play well. Obviously, Shelton had an amazing Australian Open.”

While Madison Keys is fresh off winning the Australian Open title, Fritz has been the United States’ most consistent player over the past few years. Last year, he also reached the US Open final, his best performance at Grand Slam level. Apart from this, he also won the Indian Wells title in 2022, defeating Rafael Nadal in the summit clash.

Interestingly, there are four American women in the top 10 rankings and two American men in the top 10 of the ATP rankings. While Jan-Michael Gambill clearly observed the rise of American tennis, the USTA’s general manager of player development, Martin Blackman also seconded this opinion.

American tennis has been in the best place since 1996

While the likes of Venus and Serena Williams dominated women’s tennis till a few years back, there weren’t many American players apart from them to thrive in the tennis world during that time. Comparing that to the current times, there have been a bunch of players eagerly waiting to become the best in the world. Thus, Blackman felt that there has been a massive improvement in the current batch of tennis players.

During an interview, he said, “American tennis, men and women, is in the best place it’s been since 1996. We’ve spent 15 years trying to get here. I believe all five [of the top-ranked male players] can win a Slam. That may not happen, but I believe that all five of them are capable of it. They’ve all been willing to sacrifice and fully commit to this and they’re not just happy or content to reach the quarters or the round of 16.”

While this may just be the start, American tennis still has a long way to go, especially after Serena Williams’ retirement. Nonetheless, the onus lays on the likes of young stars like Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton to take American tennis forward.