History is being written this US Open. 17-year-old Marcel Latak became the first American to win the US Open Juniors title since Taylor Fritz in 2015 this weekend, but even then, his day of tennis wasn’t over, with the doubles final shortly after, where he would eventually lose a thrilling tiebreak.
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Latak’s Saturday began with a singles final matchup against No. 1 seed Guto Miguel, whom he upset to emerge victorious on home soil. Unfortunately, in the doubles finals alongside teammate and compatriot Tanishk Konduri, they fell to the French-Spanish duo of Aaron Gabet and Valentin Gonzalez-Galino, who had other plans.
What made the doubles final so difficult was how quickly the momentum kept changing. Latak and Konduri lost the opening set 7-6(5), leaving themselves with little room for another mistake. The Americans then responded in the second set, winning it 6-2 and forcing a deciding match tiebreak. But Gabet and Gonzalez-Galino stayed composed and eventually won the decider 11-9, claiming the boys’ doubles US Open title.
That defeat ended Latak’s chance to leave New York with both junior titles.
But the doubles loss could not take away what he had already achieved earlier that day. Latak upset top seed Guto Miguel 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(13) to win the biggest title of his young career. Miguel even held 3 championship points before Latak fought back and won the deciding tiebreak 15-13.
What made Latak’s singles victory even more impressive was the path he took to reach that final. Across the tournament, Latak eliminated five Top 10 seeds, including four of the top 6. The unseeded American defeated No. 6 seed Ziga Sesko, No. 10 seed Dimitar Kisimov, and No. 4 seed Keaton Hance. He then beat No. 2 seed Jamie Mackenzie 6-3, 7-6(2), reaching the final without losing a set.
Latak also became the first American since Learner Tien in 2023 to reach the final. After everything that happened across one long Saturday, Latak leaves Flushing Meadows with history made.
The singles trophy is his, the doubles final tested him, and his next chapter now looks worth watching.
Marcel Latak’s US Open Win Adds Pressure on Zverev-Shelton Clash
The US Open junior final had already given American fans plenty to celebrate before Sunday’s men’s final. But things took another turn when Marcel Latak fought through a tense finish against Guto Miguel. The American lost the first set, came back to win the second, and then survived a deciding-set tiebreak. Latak saved three championship points before finally winning 15-13 and dropping to the court.
That finish was enough for tennis writer Ben Rothenberg to wonder if Sunday could match it.
“If the grown-up finals are half as dramatic as this one, we are in luck,” he wrote in an X post. “Huge U.S. Open for Marcel Latak, who beats #1 Guto and becomes the second straight American boy to win a junior slam after Jordan Lee at Wimbledon.”
His reaction showed how quickly Latak’s win had become part of the bigger American tennis story.
But now the attention turns toward Ben Shelton, who has his own chance to make history. Shelton reached his first Grand Slam singles final after beating Frances Tiafoe in four sets. He will now face Alexander Zverev, who reached the final after beating Karen Khachanov in straight sets.
The junior final has already given Shelton and Zverev a difficult standard to follow.
What makes the pressure greater for Shelton is what his victory could mean nationally. An American man has not won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open. Now Shelton is one win away from changing that, with Latak’s celebration still fresh in American minds.