PARIS — It’s been 30 years since three American males reached Week 2 on the French Open. Again then, it was Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and Jim Courier — every of whom received the event in some unspecified time in the future.
This go-round, the trio is Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, all scheduled to be on court docket Sunday in fourth-round motion at Roland-Garros.
“Yeah, about time,” joked Jessica Pegula, who superior Saturday to present the U.S. no less than three girls within the spherical of 16. “It’s thrilling to see. Clearly you need to see your fellow countrymen do nicely on the opposite facet, and I’m all the time truly maintaining with them rather a lot. So I hope they hold it going.”
Who do the American males left within the French Open play on Sunday?
Received’t be straightforward, in fact, maybe particularly for the Thirteenth-seeded Shelton, the big-serving lefty who goes up towards defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain for a berth within the quarterfinals. No. 12 Paul takes on No. 25 Alexei Popyrin of Australia; No. 15 Tiafoe meets unseeded Daniel Altmaier of Germany.
Not since Courier and Pete Sampras in 1996 have a number of Individuals made it to the quarterfinals in Paris.
Traditionally, the slower purple clay used on the French Open has not been significantly variety to males from the US. A few of that’s merely that they have an inclination to develop up taking part in totally on laborious courts, which reward a big-strike fashion of hard-hitting tennis, and so they aren’t as accustomed to the endurance and footwork required on the purple dust.
“I actually do assume everybody can play on this floor,” mentioned Paul, an Australian Open semifinalist two years in the past. “I remind myself it’s simply tennis.”
However for years, Paul mentioned, he was not excited to take part within the French Open. And that’s coming from somebody who received the occasion’s junior title as a teen in 2015.
“Now I come over right here and I have a look at it as a chance,” mentioned Paul, 28, who grew up in North Carolina. “I believe all of the Individuals do.”
Andre Agassi in 1999 was the final US man to win the Roland-Garros title
Agassi, in 1999, was the final American man to win the trophy on the French Open — and the nation hasn’t had a male finalist since then. Earlier than that, it was Courier in 1991 and 1992. Earlier than that, it was Chang in 1989. And earlier than that, you must go all the best way again to Tony Trabert in 1954 and 1955.
American girls have had far more success: 15 singles titles within the Open period, together with seven for Chris Evert and three for Serena Williams, plus 13 runner-up showings, most just lately by Coco Gauff in 2022.
“It’s tremendous essential to not fear about what was and simply fear about what’s,” mentioned Tiafoe, a 27-year-old from Maryland who twice made the semifinals on the hard-court U.S. Open however started his Roland-Garros profession by going 0-6. “At the moment we’re on the French Open, and simply attempt to be elite. That is the place it counts. So guys simply imagine it.”
In contrast to in New York, the place Tiafoe is the focal point and a fan favourite, a scene he loves — “There’s a lot anticipation; there’s a lot vitality” — Paris, he mentioned, presents “a distinct vibe” and “extra of a low-key sort of factor.”
To date, so good.
Ben Shelton tries to cease the defending champion in Paris
There wasn’t more likely to be something low key about Shelton vs. Alcaraz in the principle stadium, Court docket Philippe-Chatrier. They’re among the many flashiest, most entertaining athletes in males’s tennis in the meanwhile.
Alcaraz is seeded No. 2. At 22, the identical age as Shelton — who received an NCAA title for the College of Florida — Alcaraz already owns 4 Grand Slam titles, with no less than one every on the clay on the French Open, the grass at Wimbledon and the laborious courts on the U.S. Open.
“That’s a fairly cool alternative, fairly cool expertise, that not lots of people get or see of their lifetime,” mentioned Shelton, a semifinalist on the U.S. Open in 2023 and the Australian Open in January however 2-2 at Roland-Garros earlier than this 12 months. “For me, I’m positively going to take pleasure in it and go on the market and see what I can do, as a result of I’m beginning to acquire some velocity, acquire somewhat little bit of traction, on this floor and beginning to see a few of my finest tennis. I like to think about myself as harmful each time I get to that place.”
