The American tennis scenario is looking set for a bright future. The next generation of American men’s stars are quietly making a name for themselves by being in the top 15 of the ATP men’s singles rankings. Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe are among those who are widely regarded as the future of American tennis. But there is a big worry for them as they had a difficult 2023 season.
In the second season of Netflix’s ‘Break Point’, the American duo were covered extensively. But Tommy Paul did not win a single ATP title in 2023, while Frances Tiafoe barely managed to win in Houston and Stuttgart. They could not challenge much for Grand Slam glory and fell short in crucial matches against the best players in the world.
During their Netflix episode, Tommy Paul admitted to getting ‘spacey’ sometimes. He meant that since childhood, he has struggled to concentrate well in doing one particular activity for a long period of time and it affects him till date. On the tennis match, this can make lose a winnable match on many occasions.
Interestingly, Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, also claimed that Tiafoe struggles too with concentrating for long period of time even when playing professional tennis. This is not a great sign especially when playing long best-of-5 sets matches in Grand Slams. This is why Tiafoe aims to pull off some funny antics in order to distract his opponents and up his energy in order to make winning much simpler. Broomfield also claimed that when Tiafoe is not playing, he is often seen glued to his phone and Facetiming people he knows.
Tiafoe himself was man enough to admit at least that the burden of winning is massive on him after his breakout 2022 season and more so, because he is a player of color from the United States. Well, all said and done, the American duo would have to increase their level of concentration in the 2024 season as their other American colleagues are looking at their best.
Tommy Paul and Francis Tiafoe could fall behind Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton
Tommy Paul, Francis Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are the best American men’s players on tour right now. The talented foursome are ranked just close to each other in the ATP world rankings. Taylor Fritz leads the American brigade as he ranked at number 12, closely followed by Tommy Paul at 14. Ben Shelton and Francis Tiafoe are ranked at number 16 and 17 respectively.
Although the Americans are closely ranked, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton have an advantage over their rivals. Fritz does not have any problems as such with concentrating for long periods of time and could perform at his best in longer matches. The American is a confidence player and could beat any opponent on any given day. However, Fritz was shown to be constantly worried about falling behind in the race for being the leading American player.
Similarly, Ben Shelton has come of age in 2023. The 20-year-old American has risen the rankings astronomically since his heroics at the US Open. The flamboyant southpaw made it to the semi-finals of the US Open and thrilled the American crowd with his unique style. Now, with expectations upon him, Shelton will hope to deliver some silverware to live up to his hype.
