American tennis is still searching for an answer to a question that has lingered for more than two decades: why hasn’t the country produced a men’s Grand Slam singles champion since Andy Roddick’s US Open win back in 2003? John McEnroe believes he has identified the root of the problem, and it has little to do with the talent of any individual player.

Speaking on Eurosport and TNT Sports as a tennis pundit, the seven-time singles Grand Slam champion pointed to accessibility as the core issue holding American tennis back. In simple terms, football and basketball are the dominant sports, and tennis cannot compete for top athletic talent.

“It feels to me that tennis is more accessible in other countries, especially Europe. In our country, to be blunt, the accessibility is a big issue,” McEnroe said. “The best athletes play American football, basketball, in some cases, soccer. You have the affordability issues and tennis is expensive.” McEnroe drew a sharp contrast with the women’s game.

“You see in the women’s game that there are more opportunities because of equal prize money and the best athletes like Serena Williams end up playing tennis,” McEnroe added.

McEnroe also pointed to Europe’s deep tennis culture as a built-in advantage the United States simply does not have. 

“There’s a great history in Europe. You look at Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic. It feels like tennis is higher up the totem pole in Europe,” he said, adding that he has tried to chip away at the problem on a smaller scale through his own club, offering opportunities to kids who otherwise might never have picked up a racket.

However, one club will not do much for the whole nation. There need to be several clubs like his scattered across the country, promoting young athletes to pick up the sport.

Shelton tops McEnroe’s list to finally end America’s 23-year wait

Even with the structural issues, McEnroe believes the drought is not permanent, and he has a clear favorite to end it. This year, Ben Shelton came agonizingly close at the US Open to end that drought, just one win away from lifting that Grand Slam trophy, falling to Alexander Zverev in four sets. McEnroe has singled him out as America’s brightest hope to cross over that final hurdle. 

“People ask me all the time when we are going to get an American winning a Grand Slam and I put Ben at the top of the list,” he said. 

The world No. 4 did not just reach the finals at the US Open but defeated the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in the quarterfinal in an epic late session at the Arthur Ashe. Until the ultimate showdown, Shelton looked the best player in the draw but eventually fell short against the German. 

Beyond Shelton, McEnroe recognized the general sense of uncertainty that hangs over the next generation of men’s tennis, mentioning emerging players such as Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca as ones who are still to make a mark at the highest level. 

“We wait to see what happens with players like Mensik or Fonseca and whether these young kids can get over the hump and challenge Sinner and Alcaraz,” he said, also raising the possibility that Zverev himself could simply continue his current run of dominance. 

McEnroe closed by reinforcing just how overdue a breakthrough feels given the sport’s history in the United States. 

“There’s a great history in America for tennis, but it is a long time since we had a men’s winner at the US Open. So it would be big if it happens this year. We also need to look at ways to get more kids playing tennis in America, and I do that at my club by trying to give kids a chance who might not ordinarily play the sport, but it’s not easy.” 

Someone who has watched American tennis closely in all these years, as he has continued to be the sport’s most outspoken voice long after his own playing days ended, his assessment carries weight. He firmly believes that it will take more than one breakout run to fix the system. Can Shelton, together with Tiafoe, Fritz, and emerging talents like Learner Tien, restore the American dominance once held by legends like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, and McEnroe?