John McEnroe not expecting American men to end drought at US Open
It is now 20 years since Andy Roddick triumphed at Flushing Meadows but a male American winner this year is unlikely
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A US Open drought for American men that stretches back two decades is likely to continue when the year’s final major kicks off in New York, John McEnroe believes.
It has been 20 years since Andy Roddick hoisted the trophy at Flushing Meadows and even though Frances Tiafoe, who made a thrilling run to the semis last year, and Taylor Fritz are both ranked in the top 10, the tournament favourites are simply too dominant right now.
“It’s hard to envision,” McEnroe said of whether anyone not named Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev or even Jannik Sinner could triumph.
“I’d love to see Francis get his act together and do something, but he got to the semis, so he’s going to feel pressure even trying to replicate that,” said McEnroe, a four-time US Open champion who is now a broadcaster.
“But it would be incredible for an American player to make a breakthrough to me, but the likelihood is that it isn’t going to happen.
“You can see it’s going to be Djokovic or Alcaraz, Medvedev is the next guy, and then Sinner. After that, it’s going to be pretty tough to envision a guy going all the way.”
Tiafoe’s semi-final appearance, after beating Spanish great Rafael Nadal in the round of 16, elevated him to a household name, with former First Lady Michelle Obama among those who packed into his sold-out matches last year.
But the North American hard court swing following Wimbledon has been disappointing for the 25-year-old son of immigrant parents from war-torn Sierra Leone.
After making the quarters at his home tournament in Washington DC, he suffered first and second round losses in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Fritz had a slightly more fruitful summer but was mauled by Djokovic last week and has never made it past the third round in New York, including a first-round loss last year.
Ranked ninth, Fritz does have one of the most dominant serves in the game and if his primary weapon is firing, a deep run is not hard to imagine.
Tommy Paul, who beat Alcaraz at the Canadian Open, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Christopher Eubanks and Sebastian Korda are among the other American players who will look to snap the Grand Slam dry spell at the U.S. Open, which runs from 28 August to 10 September.
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments