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Good morning! The wait for real football is over.
US Open: When will an American man win a Slam?
With the US Open soon to be underway at Flushing Meadows, let’s remember the fleeting promise of last year’s tournament for American players.
No American man had won a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick at the same event in 2003, and American women had only won three since Serena Williams’ 23rd and final in 2017. Yet one men’s semifinal featured two Americans, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Both women’s semis had an American, with Jessica Pegula in one and Emma Navarro the other. But in the end, the Stars and Stripes got nothing. Jannik Sinner dismantled Fritz in straight sets in the men’s final, and Aryna Sabalenka did the same to Pegula in the women’s.
This year’s Slam season has been a breakthrough for American women. Madison Keys was the surprising winner of the Australian Open to start the year, and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff got her second Slam at the French Open. Plus, Amanda Anisimova reached the final at Wimbledon before taking a historically lopsided loss to Iga Świątek. The U.S. women are 📈.
The men, though? It’s been a 22-year Grand Slam drought. We are living in a Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz world, and the best U.S. players of the moment haven’t been able to disrupt it.
Fritz (the world No. 4) beat Sinner in 2021, but he’s lost four straight matches to the Italian, winning just one set. Fritz pushed Alcaraz at Wimbledon, but he’s 0-3 against him. Fritz is also 27, compared to Sinner at 24 and Alcaraz at 22.
Ben Shelton (the world No. 6) made Alcaraz sweat at Roland Garros before falling in four sets and moving to 0-3 against the Spaniard. Like Fritz, he beat Sinner once, but Sinner has since reeled off six in a row against him — every time in straight sets. At least Shelton is 22, giving him age parity with the top two.
So, how long might that take? I, Alex, forced a handful of The Athletic tennis buffs to take a stab at when an American man will next win a Slam — and who it will be:
Matthew Futterman: “Ben Shelton, sometime between now and the end of 2027. He’s getting better by leaps and bounds every few months. I don’t think even he knows where his ceiling is at the moment.”
Charlie Eccleshare: “Ben Shelton, 2028. This is such a tough question, but Shelton will be in his mid-20s, often peak age for a tennis player, and surely, surely, Sinner and Alcaraz won’t be quite so dominant by then.”
Sam Settleman: “Someone you haven’t heard of yet, in some distant future. Shelton certainly looks poised to take his game to the next level and compete for Grand Slams. But we’ve been saying the same thing about Alexander Zverev for years, and he may never win a Slam at this rate. As long as Alcaraz and Sinner are around, it would take a couple lucky bounces for Shelton — or any American — to break through.”
Our tennis desk is cooking this month. Bookmark here.
News to Know
Commanders deal Robinson to Niners
The Commanders traded running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick yesterday. Robinson was the presumed starter in Washington, but the Commanders have a pair of young backs who have impressed in the preseason. On the other side of the deal, Robinson could be the perfect complement to Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo in one of the deeper running back rooms in the NFL. Of course, there are fantasy implications here too. 👀
Beasley cleared in gambling probe
NBA player Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a Department of Justice investigation into sports gambling by players, his lawyer told The Athletic. The Pistons offered Beasley a three-year, $42 million contract before retracting the offer when the team was notified of the investigation. Beasley, who ranked second in the NBA in 3-pointers made last season, could now be back on the market. Read the full report.
More news:
Watch Guide
📺 EPL: Manchester City vs. Spurs
7:30 a.m. ET on USA
Both clubs won to open the Premier League season last week. The vibes are, for the moment, good: City rank last (which is like first) in our Premier League panic ranking, and Tottenham looked solid in dispatching Burnley.
📺 CFB: No. 22 Iowa State vs. No. 17 Kansas State
12 p.m. ET on ESPN
Farmageddon, live from Dublin to kick off college football’s Week 0. Either of these teams could wind up with the Big 12’s automatic playoff bid. Both QBs (Rocco Becht for ISU, Avery Johnson for K-State) are fun. We are so back. Subscribe to our CFB newsletter for much more.
📺 NFL: Browns vs. Rams
1 p.m. ET on NFL Network
The final week of NFL preseason rarely provides much intrigue, but the Browns are expected to play Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in this one. This QB room still makes no sense.
Pulse Picks
Lee Corso retires from television and “College GameDay” a week from today. His co-workers, past and present, recently shared their favorite stories about the “Grandfather of College Football.”
The US Open draw is out, which means Honey Deuces are in. I’ve made these cocktails during each of the past three tournaments, and they’re always a hit. We have the drink’s lore. New York Times Cooking has the recipe. Wirecutter has the melon baller guide. Cheers! — Alex Iniguez
Tom Junod, one of the great profile writers of any era, delivers an emotionally charged tale of two high school football players, playing 50 years apart, and the tragic bond that ties them together. It’s an incredible read. — Richard Deitsch
Justify it however you want — “Big run tomorrow!” — but it’s the rules to steal a box of your kids’ powdered mac and cheese monthly. Annie’s Super Mac is delicious. (Yes, we’re all slaves to the protein industrial complex.) — Chris Sprow
The Athletic’s weekly sports news quiz.
Pips has immediately joined my morning games routine. I enjoy chasing a new PR on the “hard” mode every day. — Mark Cooper
I finally got around to watching “The Residence” on Netflix. Delightful! A smart, quippy, lavishly produced murder mystery — with a murderer’s row of lead actors — that isn’t afraid to just do its classic Agatha-Christie thing. Uzo Aduba got an Emmy nomination for her performance. Deserved! — Hannah Vanbiber
Jason Jones highlights a special Florida Little League team from 45 years ago in this fun piece.
I read this recommendation from The New York Times about the Bloomberg podcast “Odd Lots” and have been listening ever since. It’s delightful, though it might bore you if you’re under 35. — Chris Branch
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our fantasy football basics for beginners.
Most-read on the website yesterday: “Nuno’s row with Edu at the heart of his Nottingham Forest unhappiness.”
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(Top photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)