It has been 23 years since Andy Roddick won his US Open title, and the country is still in search of its next men’s Grand Slam champion. Roddick was present at Arthur Ashe on Tuesday and, along with another great, Andre Agassi, expressed hope that the American men’s contingent would end the long wait.
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“Well whatever I feel doesn’t matter as much as the support they get inside of the building,” said Roddick after his doubles match against Roger Federer and John McEnroe. “You all will play a big part in doing it, so I hope it happens and that you all will help them along the way.”
With the likes of Jannik Sinner out with an injury, and with Carlos Alcaraz coming back after a long injury layoff, the chances for an American champion at this year’s US Open are high. Of the 32 seeds in the men’s draw, six are American, with the likes of Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz being the best bets for the title for the American men.
Not only Roddick, but even Agassi was optimistic about the chances of his compatriots at the Flushing Meadows over the next two weeks.
“I think we have a great group of Americans right now and this might just be the two weeks one of them show that it can be get done,” said Agassi during the on-court interview.
The two American legends teamed up against the pair of Federer and McEnroe in an exhibition event which celebrated the Swiss player’s comeback on Arthur Ashe after seven years. It was a loss for the all-American team, and Roddick went on to lose his singles match against Federer as well, but will hope for better American fortunes for the top-ranked American players in the men’s draw.
Up until a couple of years ago, Roddick was not only the last American player to win a Slam, but also the last American player to reach a Slam final at the 2009 Wimbledon. However, the latter record was taken from Roddick’s name, with Taylor Fritz reaching the US Open final in 2024.
The hard-court warm-up events before the US Open have seen decent results for some American players, increasing their chances heading into Flushing Meadows next week. Taylor Fritz won the title in Washington, with Ben Shelton in supreme form at the Canadian Open, successfully defending his title. Even Frances Tiafoe had a great warm-up for New York, reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open.
However, this is not the first time that Roddick has had bullish expectations from his compatriots at a Grand Slam. Before Wimbledon, the former American pro was confident that one of the American players would reach the semifinals, with Alcaraz not at SW19. Roddick’s confidence was understandable: Tiafoe and Shelton had both won grass-court titles before Wimbledon, beating Fritz in the respective finals.
But Shelton struggled to meet expectations, losing in the first round, whereas Tiafoe gave away several opportunities to take the lead and lost in the third round. Fritz was the only one who went deep but lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, with the American struggling with knee injuries.
With the American crowd behind them, one can expect that the top American players will have a better time at Flushing Meadows. All three of the American favorites have had their best Slam moments at the US Open, which is where Roddick and Agassi hope the American men can finally end the Grand Slam drought.