U S Open tennis.

mjj_2K

All-American
Jul 11, 2010
12,597
7,283
113
Who knows? Women's tennis is generally unpredictable. They hit with less spin than the men, meaning less margin for error, and they play 2 out of 3. It just takes one bad day for any player to lose unexpectedly.

What seems more predictable is that Carlos Alcaraz is going to eliminate American men. He just got Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton is next, then likely Frances Tiafoe. Alcaraz is fit, and the only guy who can probably beat him got hurt and isn't playing (and isn't American).

American men are in a better place than a decade ago, but closing the gap between "guy who can make a deep run at a major (possibly even a final)" and "guy who can win a major" doesn't seem like it's going to come from this group of players. Maybe Shelton, because his serve can be so overwhelming (but I think he'd need some luck), but I doubt it.
 

WallMash

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2009
4,586
2,930
103
if you mean Russian and are referring to the world number one Sabalinka, she's Belarusian, which is it's own country, even if it is in the pocket of Putin.
 

Starrcade

Senior
Jun 4, 2026
438
725
93
Wow. Qinwen Zhang (Qualifer and not hard to look at) goes down 5-0 in the first set to Swiatek (8 seed), wins 7 straight games and then wins the 2nd set to win.

That's right after she went down 5-0 in the final set last match, came back and won it.

Gotta root for the Qualifier.
 

theBlues

All-Conference
Oct 18, 2025
1,836
4,058
113
Who knows? Women's tennis is generally unpredictable. They hit with less spin than the men, meaning less margin for error, and they play 2 out of 3. It just takes one bad day for any player to lose unexpectedly.

What seems more predictable is that Carlos Alcaraz is going to eliminate American men. He just got Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton is next, then likely Frances Tiafoe. Alcaraz is fit, and the only guy who can probably beat him got hurt and isn't playing (and isn't American).

American men are in a better place than a decade ago, but closing the gap between "guy who can make a deep run at a major (possibly even a final)" and "guy who can win a major" doesn't seem like it's going to come from this group of players. Maybe Shelton, because his serve can be so overwhelming (but I think he'd need some luck), but I doubt it.
Shelton needs to be a little more patient; goes for too many difficult winners but he's definitely headed for the top five. Michelson is also headed for the top five.
 

wildcatdon

Heisman
Oct 17, 2012
10,626
13,615
113
Madison Keys and Taylor Fritz are two of the biggest chokers i have ever seen. Been watching a long time too.
Shelton needs to be a little more patient; goes for too many difficult winners but he's definitely headed for the top five. Michelson is also headed for the top five.
Anyone else wanting Fowler to go back to announcing football? Geez he just cant shut up.
 

Starrcade

Senior
Jun 4, 2026
438
725
93
Shelton needs to be a little more patient; goes for too many difficult winners but he's definitely headed for the top five. Michelson is also headed for the top five.

You aren't kidding about Michelsen. He's dismantling Tiafoe.

That pink outfit of Tiafoe's is about to be unseen, thankfully.
 

Catman100

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
7,094
10,597
96
Does it shock anyone other than me how bad American men are at tennis?
A US man hasn't won a tennis major since Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
2003?? I grew up in the days when we always challenged for majors.
McEnroe, Connors, Sampras, Courier, Agassi, Chang.
Now we are rarely in the semifinals, let alone a final.
Yes I know the last 20 some years have been dominated by Federer, Joker, and Nadal, but give me a damn break.
Now we got Sinner and Alcaraz dominating.
Hell Argentina has 2 majors and Stan Wawrinka has 3. even Andy Murray has 2 in that time.
What the heck happened to US men in tennis?
 

Johnnie Africa

All-Conference
Feb 27, 2003
1,102
3,402
113
Does it shock anyone other than me how bad American men are at tennis?
A US man hasn't won a tennis major since Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
2003?? I grew up in the days when we always challenged for majors.
McEnroe, Connors, Sampras, Courier, Agassi, Chang.
Now we are rarely in the semifinals, let alone a final.
Yes I know the last 20 some years have been dominated by Federer, Joker, and Nadal, but give me a damn break.
Now we got Sinner and Alcaraz dominating.
Hell Argentina has 2 majors and Stan Wawrinka has 3. even Andy Murray has 2 in that time.
What the heck happened to US men in tennis?

We stopped giving a ****? Is tennis even a major sport in America anymore?
 

theBlues

All-Conference
Oct 18, 2025
1,836
4,058
113
Does it shock anyone other than me how bad American men are at tennis?
A US man hasn't won a tennis major since Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
2003?? I grew up in the days when we always challenged for majors.
McEnroe, Connors, Sampras, Courier, Agassi, Chang.
Now we are rarely in the semifinals, let alone a final.
Yes I know the last 20 some years have been dominated by Federer, Joker, and Nadal, but give me a damn break.
Now we got Sinner and Alcaraz dominating.
Hell Argentina has 2 majors and Stan Wawrinka has 3. even Andy Murray has 2 in that time.
What the heck happened to US men in tennis?
The young crop is looking pretty good. Shelton's ranking is now #5 and he's just 23. Michelson(22) looks like he's going to be a star and Tien is only 20 and already ranked #13 and I could see him winning a French Open or two.
 

Catman100

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
7,094
10,597
96
The young crop is looking pretty good. Shelton's ranking is now #5 and he's just 23. Michelson(22) looks like he's going to be a star and Tien is only 20 and already ranked #13 and I could see him winning a French Open or two.
But haven't we been saying that about young American players since 2003 as well?
Blake, Fish, Martin, Isner. Querrey.
Just really surprising to me how crappy we are now at a sport we used to be very good at.
 

theBlues

All-Conference
Oct 18, 2025
1,836
4,058
113
But haven't we been saying that about young American players since 2003 as well?
Blake, Fish, Martin, Isner. Querrey.

Just really surprising to me how crappy we are now at a sport we used to be very good at.
Not me; I never thought much of any of those guys but I do about Shelton, Michelson, and Tien.
 

Starrcade

Senior
Jun 4, 2026
438
725
93
Well I do agree on that. Got to see a bunch of those 3 these last two weeks and I am impressed.
Tien and Michelson lost absolute high quality heartbreakers.
Would love to see Shelton beat Alcaraz.
They won’t start until Midnight. What a collosal calamity.
 

mjj_2K

All-American
Jul 11, 2010
12,597
7,283
113
Does it shock anyone other than me how bad American men are at tennis?
A US man hasn't won a tennis major since Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
2003?? I grew up in the days when we always challenged for majors.
McEnroe, Connors, Sampras, Courier, Agassi, Chang.
Now we are rarely in the semifinals, let alone a final.
Yes I know the last 20 some years have been dominated by Federer, Joker, and Nadal, but give me a damn break.
Now we got Sinner and Alcaraz dominating.
Hell Argentina has 2 majors and Stan Wawrinka has 3. even Andy Murray has 2 in that time.
What the heck happened to US men in tennis?
The level of athlete playing tennis in Europe got better than in the US, and technology made that more important than ever (particularly strings that allow for far more spin and control than anything available in the 80's and 90's but also making different surfaces less extreme and using less lively balls). And training available in Europe caught up to the US (players used to flock to the Bollettieri Academy from all over the globe, now they don't have to).

With what Ben Shelton just did (that I thought he couldn't), this should be the year that an American man finally breaks through. Either he or Tiafoe is likely to meet Alexander Zverev in the final, and Zverev has a history of playing really nervously in finals, which will be compounded by facing a huge home favorite. If Zverev even makes it- he nearly lost both of his 1st 2 matches, though he seems to have settled down since then.
 

rick64

Heisman
Jan 25, 2007
25,148
35,127
113
So wanted to watch this but not starting that late. Come on ESPN, USTA and whoever lets figure out how to get these matches on at a decent hour. Not even hard core tennis fans are staying up to 3:30 am ET to watch to its conclusion. Use the other courts, plus ESPN has how many channels??!! ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews. I mean come on!!!
 
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WallMash

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2009
4,586
2,930
103
Shelton could become America's first world number one. He's got the goods. And his girlfriend ain't bad either.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
47,496
86,994
113
The level of athlete playing tennis in Europe got better than in the US, and technology made that more important than ever (particularly strings that allow for far more spin and control than anything available in the 80's and 90's but also making different surfaces less extreme and using less lively balls). And training available in Europe caught up to the US (players used to flock to the Bollettieri Academy from all over the globe, now they don't have to).

With what Ben Shelton just did (that I thought he couldn't), this should be the year that an American man finally breaks through. Either he or Tiafoe is likely to meet Alexander Zverev in the final, and Zverev has a history of playing really nervously in finals, which will be compounded by facing a huge home favorite. If Zverev even makes it- he nearly lost both of his 1st 2 matches, though he seems to have settled down since then.
I’d love to see Shelton do it. I didn’t think he had it in him honestly. All our American men get ranked around the top 10 and they can’t break thru.
 

WallMash

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2009
4,586
2,930
103
Opps meant to say first number one in a long time. And Roddick didn't really dominate the way Agassi and Sampras did. We've been in a dry spell.
 
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Starrcade

Senior
Jun 4, 2026
438
725
93
The women's final could end up being Russia vs. Russia. Would the stands be empty?

Andreeva is actually a likeable kid.
 
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theBlues

All-Conference
Oct 18, 2025
1,836
4,058
113
Wpuld prefer Sampras vs Novak ........ maybe Borg v Nadal on Clay.
Borg was the only guy that might have held his own with Raffa on clay...and I don't think Borg would have beaten Nadal much more often than everybody else that tried. When tennis players go to Hell, I bet they have to play Raffa on clay every day.
 
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L.O.D.

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2024
1,303
1,682
77
Any of those would be amazing but you get a fired up Agassi vs Djoker and it would be must watch.
Agassi was my favorite growing up along with the Mac an Connors show. But Sampras was simply on another level imo. I did love watching Aggassi the few times he best him in majors tho.

I think Novak destroys Aggassi honestly - Pete not on grass Pete wins on grass other surface likely Novak.
 
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L.O.D.

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2024
1,303
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77
Borg was the only guy that might have held his own with Raffa on clay...and I don't think Borg would have beaten Nadal much more often than everybody else that tried. When tennis players go to Hell, I bet they have to play Raffa on clay every day.
Thats what most say but imo it would be a true toss up as most dont realize just how good Borg was he had a short career. Nadal had better skill but Borg could frustrate anyone. Would be some crazy points played in that match.
 
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theBlues

All-Conference
Oct 18, 2025
1,836
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Thats what most say but imo it would be a true toss up as most dont realize just how good Borg was he had a short career. Nadal had better skill but Borg could frustrate anyone. Would be some crazy points played in that match.
It would sure be interesting. I'm sure Borg would have had a 145 mph serve with modern rackets.
 

Catman100

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
7,094
10,597
96
DVR'd that match last night and wow, what a match. Great win by Shelton, but I tell you what, Alcaraz is the real deal. Has not played in a while and almost pulled it off. He is going to have to be dealt with for at least the next 10 years.
I really hope Shelton, Tiafoe, Michelson and Tien can keep moving up the rankings and making semi's of majors.

And big win for Coco. The russian fell apart in the 3rd.
 
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