The Cincinnati Open is rapidly progressing, with fans certain to be desperate to see American players go as far as possible.
There was Cincinnati Open heartbreak for such players last year, with both Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula losing the finals.
The ATP star lost 7-6(7-4), 6-2 to top seed Jannik Sinner, with the WTA ace losing 6-3, 7-5 to top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Many eyes are once again on American players this time around, particularly Ben Shelton after his superb Canadian Open success.
He secured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title earlier this month, overcoming Karen Khachanov in Toronto.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesAmerican tennis suffers terrible day at the Cincinnati Open
Elsewhere in Cincinnati, two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova tipped Iva Jovic for a big future after beating the American on Tuesday, the same day her compatriot Coco Gauff progressed.
But there was a complete turnaround just one day later, when American players suffered a complete nightmare across the ATP and WTA tours.
Tiafoe, the 10th seed, retired against Holger Rune, with fourth seed Taylor Fritz also exiting after a shock loss to Terence Atmane.
Their female counterparts then suffered the same fate, with fourth seed Pegula losing to Magda Linette and sixth seed Madison Keys falling to Elena Rybakina.
American tennis players handed worrying reality check ahead of the US Open
Such losses are, of course, very possible at such tournaments, but they do come at a very worrying time for American players.
And that is because the US Open gets underway later this month, where home players are already under plenty of pressure.
That is undoubtedly less true of those on the WTA Tour, with Keys and Gauff having already won Grand Slam titles this season.
The former triumphed at the Australian Open in Melbourne, with the latter winning the French Open in Paris.
In stark contrast, an American man has remarkably not won a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick’s US Open win in 2003.
And given the current scenario on the ATP Tour, it seems that world number six Shelton represents his nation’s best hope.
That will, however, pile the pressure on the shoulders of the 22-year-old, who ensured it wasn’t all disappointment for home players on Wednesday by beating Roberto Bautista Agut.