Last year's final saw Taylor Fritz fall to world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets. It was the first time since 2006 that a man from the United States got that far in the tournament. Andy Roddick was the player on that occasion, losing in four sets to five-time champion Roger Federer.
The final major of the season has not been kind to Americans over the last two decades. Times have changed, and quite drastically at that. Between 2000 and 2006, only one final did not feature a local player. That came in 2004, when Federer beat Lleyton Hewitt. American fans then had to wait another 18 years for Fritz to end that drought.
As we head into the 2025 edition, the question is: will this be the year when a man from the US finally captures the US Open 22 years on from Roddick's success? There are six seeded players hailing from the country, with four of them worth keeping an eye on in Flushing Meadows.
Fritz leads the charge
The highest ranked American and world number four, Fritz, will likely be considered as his country's best hope in ending the 22-year wait. He has struggled at the majors this year though, save for Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals. He only made the third round in Melbourne, and suffered a first-round exit in Paris.
Still, there has to be a reason to believe for fans of the 27-year-old, who has 38 wins on tour this year. At the time of writing, Fritz has a 72% win rate, his best-ever in a year. Of course, there are still four months of tennis left. Nevertheless, he will surely be confident at his home major.
Both of Fritz's titles this year came on grass at 250 level, with his best performance on a hard court coming in Miami and Toronto. In both tournaments, he reached the final four. Entering the US Open as the fourth seed, now is his time to finally win his first major with the whole country watching.
Shelton rising at the right time
Ben Shelton is hitting form at the right time, and could be considered a dark horse in New York. The 22-year-old lefty won his first-ever Masters 1000 tournament earlier this month in Canada. Holding a 35-17 record in 2025, the progression in his game has shown.
Unlike Fritz, Shelton has reached the second week of the other three majors this year. In Australia, he matched his best performance at a slam by reaching the semi-finals. In 2023, his breakout year, he reached the same stage of the US Open before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Heading into the US Open, Shelton already has more wins at majors this year than in the other two years he has been at the elite level. Seeded sixth in the year's final major, he has to be one to watch, and rightly so. He does have 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz in his quarter, so if he is to go all the way, he will have to do it the hard way.
Can Tiafoe continue strong home showing?
If there is one US man who loves playing at his home major, it has to be Frances Tiafoe. His best performances at majors always come at Flushing Meadows. He has reached the second week in each of the last five years, including semi-final appearances in 2023 and last year.
While 'Big Foe' has not looked particularly impressive in 2025 - he has made the quarter-finals or better in just three tournaments - it would be ill-advised to overlook him at the US Open. Nearly half of his total wins in majors have come in the year's last one, highlighting his excellence in New York.
Tiafoe heads into this year's tournament seeded 17th. He is in a tricky-looking quarter, which includes Fritz and Djokovic. Still, we can seldom underestimate the 27-year-old, who beat Rafael Nadal back in 2022. Who is to say he does not work similar magic in 2025 and finally capture a major title in front of his home fans?
Paul's progression gives him a fighting chance
The other American among the top 20 seeds is Tommy Paul. Perhaps the least likely of the four to go all the way in New York, the 28-year-old has done quite well at majors of late. For the exception of Wimbledon, where he lost in the second round, he has reached the second week in four of the last five.
Currently ranked 14th in the world, Paul reached a career-high eighth earlier this year. He has reached four semi-finals in 2025, along with quarter-final appearances in Australia and France. While he has yet to play in a final this year, he will be hungry to improve on his US Open best of two straight fourth-round exits.
Paul's quarter features top seed and defending champion Sinner, who he could meet in the fourth round. It will have to be a matter of catching form at the right time for him though, as beating the Italian has proven to be quite difficult over the last year (unless you are Alcaraz).
Wrestling a major from Sinner and Alcaraz
The toughest challenge for Fritz, Shelton, Tiafoe, and Paul will be to come out on top at the expense of Sinner and Alcaraz. Eight of the last nine Grand Slams have been won by one of the two, who have met in the last two finals.
Among the American quartet, Alcaraz has a record of 13-3. Paul has beaten him twice, the last victory coming in 2023. Tiafoe has the other victory back in 2021. Sinner, meanwhile, is 18-4, having lost to each man once. None of those victories have ever come at a slam, showing just how difficult it is to accomplish.
As this year's tournament gets underway soon, fans will be wanting to see a champion hail from their nation. While the women's side has seen one as recently as 2023, with another losing last year's final, it has been a struggle for American men's tennis. Between Fritz, Shelton, Tiafoe, and Paul, now is the time to put an end to the wait and become the latest first-time Grand Slam champion.