Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz are America’s two highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour.
Both players occupy spaces inside the top 10 and they are hungry to achieve plenty of success in the game.
Fritz is the world number four and reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2024 US Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
Ben Shelton on the other hand, has produced a career-best performance at each of the three majors so far this season, and he aims to do the same at Flushing Meadows this year.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesSam Querrey thinks Taylor Fritz will finish the year ranked higher than Ben Shelton
Taylor Fritz is still flying the flag for the United States as their top-ranked player.
Fritz reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time in July, and his consistency earned him a spot in the ATP’s top four.
But Shelton is on his tail and he just secured the biggest title of his career at the Canadian Open before commencing his campaign at the ongoing Cincinnati Open.
Both players enjoy this portion of the season and they will push each other to produce their best tennis with the American number one ranking on the line as well as titles.
The compatriot Sam Querrey has been watching Fritz and Shelton’s progress and he thinks the former will finish the year ranked higher.
“That is going to be close but I am still taking Taylor. Ben has gone from 10 to nine to eight to seven,” Querrey told the Nothing Major podcast. “I think it’s going to be Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Fritz, someone else and then Shelton.”
Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images for Laver CupSteve Johnson both Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton will be in the ATP’s top five
Shelton has certainly upped his level in 2025 and he has shown he can produce his best tennis both at Grand Slam and Masters 1000 level.
He has gradually been adding elements to become a more well-rounded player, which is essential if he wants to beat the best players on a consistent basis.
Following his impressive summer Shelton is now just over 300 points behind world number five Jack Draper, and with Draper not playing in Cincinnati, Shelton has a chance to overtake him with a strong campaign.
But even if he does not surpass Draper soon, Steve Johnson thinks at some point this season both Fritz and Shelton will be ranked inside the top five.
The Nothing Major podcast co-host said: “I think he’s going to catch Draper and we are going to have two in the top five.”