Bill Simons
Why?
Why has American men’s tennis failed to win a Grand Slam title for 23 years?
Why has the world’s greatest sporting nation, which soars in the Olympics, whose DNA is so woven into the fabric of Michael Jordan, whose DNA is so woven into its fabric, failed to bring it to men’s tennis?
Let’s just blame it on the rise of the European game and the emergence of the Big Three. Or maybe it’s more about the shortcomings of American technique, our tennis ecosystem, or the importance of other sports.
Then again, maybe there’s something bigger going on here about our “Where’s my phone? I want a BMW for my graduation present” culture.
Who knows?
But Tuesday – Awesome Tuesday – wasn’t about questions.
It was about answers.
Aryna Sabalenka then showed her ferocity to come back from 4-2 down in the third set to beat Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) and after Jessica Pegula had a three-set upset win over Emma Navarro, Ben Shelton of the American Emfa France came out with ten.
“It is enough.
“Enough humiliations from Roger, Rafa and Novak.
“Hey Mr. Sinner, you’re not even in this game.
“And Carlos, we know you’re the most dazzling wizard in tennis. We know you’ve won seven Slams. We know you’ve won 18 straight Grand Slam matches, 11 straight at the US Open and went 13-0 against Americans at major tournaments. Good for you.
“But what, we’re red, white and blue?
“This is Ash’s house, our house.
“Of course, it’s past 3 o’clock. Most of America sleeps well. But here the Yankees faithful are howling.
“ONE, ONE!
“Of course, I have been beaten many times by Italian maestros and Serbian masters, and I have lost to you, Mr. Spanish conquistador, we have played three times.
“But I’ve been putting in the hard yards in the gym, my injuries are healing, and I’ve been working on my game — my discipline, my return, my serve and my volley.
“My coach, Papa Shelton, is tactically skilled and shares his wisdom.
“Go ahead, but take it easy and don’t try to do anything special. Be humble, find balance, and remember it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, one at a time.
“Okay, New York. I know you thought Frances Tiafoe’s rise from the dead in two sets against California’s Alex Michelsen was the match of the tournament. And of course, their post-match hug was a flashcard for the ages.
“What a hug!
But Benjamin Todd Shelton said: “Hug this!”
“I’m tired of bribery, begging and teaching. Hey dog, I’m getting into my best shape. I walked to the Canadian Open title without dropping a set. My server is a monster. I was a high school quarterback and could have been an NFL tight end. My athleticism is elite. Here at the Open, I gave Bousippas a look.
“I’m ready for the bright lights.
“Okay Carlos, you’re a generational talent, a global icon with that gorgeous hair and seven slams. You light up the stadiums.
“But I have game and something to prove.”
So, simply put, Ben played Big Ben tennis. massive serves, vicious forehands, dynamite returns, beautiful pace and a flurry of net charges that left Alcaraz with no answers.
Ben was at the time. He had discipline, composure, stamina, endurance, determination and some of the best weapons in the sport.
Yes, Carlos managed to take the first set when Ben blinked the tension of the tiebreak.
But the former Gator immediately backed off. Alcaraz was now swinging and on the back foot. He pressed his foreheads together and hunched over his head.
We thought this guy was all about the smile.
We were wrong.
Yes, there were some sparkling gems, burning earthy and sweet pieces. But there was more rust in the drama, packed with Shakespearean twists.
Surging Ben took the second and third sets 6-1, 6-3 to take a two-set-to-one lead. At one point, he won nine games in a row.
“Okay. We might even get home with 3,” muttered the Chelsea fans.
But Alcaraz, playing in his first tournament since April, called on his backups, as if to say, “I am the warrior who scored three championship points against Sinner in the greatest clay court match of all time, the 2025 French Open final. I can handle your strength, Mr. America.”
And he did.
Immediately, he took a 6-1 victory in the fourth set to force. what else would you expect? – tiebreak for ages in the fifth set.
it wasn’t pretty.
But that was the definition of tension.
Shelton eventually won the breaker 10-7, hitting the biggest finish of his career at 146 mph in 3:33, the last finish in US Open history. His 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) victory was his first win over a Top 3 player and ended Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak.
Over the years, as stadiums and roofs were built at Flushing Meadows, as millions passed through the gates and the U.S. Open became a fixture on the American sports calendar, four events defined its emergence.
On Super Saturday 1984, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors played a four-match, more than 12-hour palooza of tennis that captured America’s imagination. Every match went the distance. McEnroe finally defeated Connors at 23:14. For decades, Super Saturday became a brand within a brand.
Then, in 1991, Jimmy Connors caught New York’s short hair as he cheered and danced his way into the semifinals of the US Open.
The gap would never be the same.
In 2005, Andre Agassi defeated James Blake in a classic after-midnight battle that ended at 1:15 a.m. and became a night tennis signature.
And since 2004, for almost two decades, the Big Three – Roger, Rafa and Novak – have been the reigning monarchs of the Golden Age.
And in the meantime, American men’s tennis was struggling in the dust.
You can call it a shortage, a mystery, a drought, the Andy Roddick curse, or just plain humiliation.
Whatever you call it, no American has won a Grand Slam since Roddick lifted the US Open trophy in 2003.
But on Terrific Tuesday, a staggering 16 hours and 25 minutes of tennis in which three matches were decided in final-set tiebreakers, the two American gentlemen were not so mellow.
With flaming rackets they simply said.
“Enough already.”
