By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday August 20, 2024
Not since 1996 have so many Americans populated the Top-20 of the ATP and WTA rankings.
As of Tuesday August 20, 10 Americans are inside the Top-20 across the WTA and ATP rankings – five per tour – making it the first time there have been five men and five women inside the Top-20 since since the week of October 7, 1996.
Frances Tiafoe joins Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda on the men’s side, while third-ranked Coco Gauff, sixth-ranked Jessica Pegula are joined by Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro and Madison Keys on the women’s side.
It’s a testament to the depth of the talent pool on both sides of the tour, but it isn’t all perfect – the Americans are still searching for their first men’s singles Grand Slam winner since 2003, and lack a Top-10 talent.
Tiafoe, who reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati, made his return to the Top-20 on Tuesday. He’s one of three active American men who have reached at least the semifinals at a major, along with Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul – an American man has not reached a major final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
On the women’s side, Gauff is the lone Grand Slam champion among the current Americans in the Top-20. She won the US Open title in 2023, becoming the first American women’s singles Slam champion since Sofia Kenin in 2020.