"Does he have enough firepower to be a major contender?": Gilbert and McEnroe analyse the new generation of American tennis

The new generation of American tennis is here, with Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien among its most prominent representatives. Patrick McEnroe and Brad Gilbert, former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick – the last American male major champions – discussed the potential of this emerging crop of players.

In recent seasons, Taylor Fritz (No. 4), Tommy Paul (No. 13), and Frances Tiafoe (No. 17) have been the main American players in the spotlight. All three are now 27 years old. Others from the same generation such as Reilly Opelka (former No. 17) and Christopher Eubanks (former No. 29) have also had strong runs on Tour, including deep Grand Slam performances.

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However, the major title drought continues for American men – arguably the most successful nation in tennis history. The last men’s Grand Slam title was won by Andy Roddick back at the 2003 US Open. Since then, the Big-3 have captured a combined 66 majors, with the few remaining titles going to players like Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

“We have a lot of guys that are quality players,” Gilbert said in Tennis.com. “And now there are younger ones, too. They are all getting a lot better. That’s why we're a lot deeper. Sometimes the results aren't exactly what you want, but you’ve got to keep pressing on.”

A few years after the breakthrough of Fritz and company, other promising names emerged, including Sebastian Korda (No. 25, age 24), Brandon Nakashima (No. 33, age 23), and Ben Shelton (No. 14, age 22). Still early in their careers, all three have been flagged as potential Grand Slam champions – though only Shelton has come close, having reached two Grand Slam semifinals so far.

Hope is reignited in the U.S., as fans watch new prospects moving toward the sport’s elite. 20-year-old Alex Michelsen (No. 37) has already pulled off several top-10 upsets, while 19-year-old Learner Tien (No. 69) has had a breakout season, standing alongside Joao Fonseca as one of the breakout names of the new generation. Nishesh Basavareddy (No. 108), also 19, is another name worth watching, after impressing many at the Australian Open where he even took a set off none other than Novak Djokovic.

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“Our guys seem to be in the same group as many other players out there,” Patrick McEnroe said speaking with Gilbert. “If you look at the struggles of [Stefanos] Tsitsipas and Zverev, who have obviously had even more success than our guys, it looks like winning a big tournament is getting further out of reach rather than closer for us—at least for the guys that are now in their mid-20s.”

“I definitely think [competition among generations] helps,” added McEnroe. “I think it helps all of them, young and old. In my years at the USTA, our goal was always trying to make as many really, really good players as we could.”

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“Michelsen is sneaky good,” said Gilbert. “I’d be really surprised if he doesn’t make [at least] the Top 10. His backhand is really good, and he's really clever.”

Meanwhile, Patrick McEnroe compared Learner Tien to former world No. 1 Marcelo Ríos, one of the most talented left-handers the sport has seen – successful despite a slight build and modest height. “Like Rios, Tien has an amazing feel for the game. The question will be, does he have enough firepower to be a major contender?”

As of now, there are 4 American players in the top 10 and a total of 8 inside the top 50.

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