The United States has six players in the men’s tennis top 20 for the first time since Spain achieved the feat in 2000. Ben Shelton is ranked fourth, Frances Tiafoe ninth, Taylor Fritz 13th, Tommy Paul 14th, Brandon Nakashima 17th and Learner Tien 18th. Some of the group are due to play their opening matches at the Paris Masters on Tuesday, November 3.
The American contingent also includes Alex Michelsen, ranked 34th at 22, and Sebastian Korda, 26, who reached 15th in 2024 before a back injury. In total, 13 American men feature in the world top 100, compared with 11 French players, nine Argentinians and eight Italians.
The country has a similarly strong showing in the women’s rankings, with 14 Americans in the top 100, including Jessica Pegula at No. 4 and Coco Gauff at No. 5.
Gilles Simon, a former world No. 6 who now directs high performance at the French Tennis Federation, cited the United States’ large pool of players, the strength of its tennis federation and the financial resources available to private academies and universities as factors behind the success.
Sources: Le Monde Sport.