A multitude of American tennis stars are preparing to compete in the last Grand Slam of the calendar year.
The US Open, which will run from August 24 to September 7, will see the likes of Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Emma Navarro compete on one of the world’s biggest stages.
On the men’s side, Taylor Fritz will be hoping to avenge his loss in the 2024 US Open Men’s Singles final, while youngsters such as Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen will be aiming to make their mark.
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However, seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander has picked another American player as his dark horse for the US Open title.
This player will be looking to improve on his performance at the tournament in 2024, where he was knocked out in the third round.
Mats Wilander picks Ben Shelton as his dark horse for the US Open title
Speaking to TNT Sports, Wilander said: “I have to say, when you mention the Canadian Open, my dark horse is the American Ben Shelton.
“Some of it is because of the results that he’s had lately, but most of it is just because of the way that he plays. He can actually, I think, take these two guys [Alcaraz and Sinner] out. If he has a great serving day, then I think he’s the dark horse.
“But I think we need to give credit to Alexander Zverev again. Is he ever going to win one [a Grand Slam]? Possibly. But he’s still there. He gets to the later rounds. He doesn’t really lose to lower-ranked players, and he could have a huge serving day.
“So to me, I still put [Zverev] as a dark horse when it comes to a Grand Slam tournament because he knows what he’s doing.
“He’s just up against two great players. But Ben Shelton, to me, is the dark horse of the men’s tournament.”
It is easy to understand why Wilander has chosen Ben Shelton as his US Open dark horse.
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After all, the 22-year-old American has a habit of turning up in the biggest moments during Grand Slam events.
In 2025, he reached the semi-final stage at the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon.
In fact, the only players Shelton has lost to at a Grand Slam this year are the two clear favourites for the US Open title: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Shelton has also demonstrated strong recent form, winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open.
There are six American seeds in the US Open Men’s Singles main draw
There is a strong American male contingent present at the US Open this year. It has been 22 years since an American man won a Grand Slam, and this year could be the year.
Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and Brandon Nakashima are all seeded for the main draw competition at the US Open.
With the raucous American crowd behind them, more than one of these players could emerge as a serious contender for the title.
Of course, any American who does navigate their way to the latter stages will likely have to contend with Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, which is a tall but not impossible task.