Tenis estadounidense ATP US Open 2026 Learner Tien

American tennis matches a positive historic record at the 2026 US Open

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 6 Sep 2026
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Learner Tien: Rising Star of American Tennis at the US Open 2026. Photo: Getty Images

The US Open 2026 has drawn many conclusions after the first week of competition, and one of the most evident is the good moment for American tennis. While it is true that none of the local players are among the top contenders for the title, the level and depth are only increasing, as reflected by a historical statistic that hasn't been seen since 1995.

The defeat of Taylor Fritz has somewhat overshadowed the balance, considering that the Californian was one of the main hopes for the title. However, having five players reach the round of 16 in a Grand Slam is something that hasn't happened since the US Open 1995, which means a whopping 31 years.

There are five Americans in the round of 16 of the US Open 2026: Who will go further?

It will be more challenging to break the long negative streak that haunts all levels of American tennis, such as the fact that there have been 23 years without a Grand Slam champion. The last was Andy Roddick at the US Open 2003, and right now it can be said that seeing a new American player reigning in one of the most important tournaments on the calendar seems closer than in all previous years.

Ben Shelton is the big hope, although the possibility of facing Alcaraz complicates the task. Everything would line up for the Americans if Tommy Paul could defeat the Spaniard, while Alex Michelsen will try to extend his dream against Etcheverry. It could be the case that there are four American quarter-finalists in the bottom half of the draw, if in addition to all that, Frances Tiafoe beats Medvedev. 

The great hope for the future of American tennis is Learner Tien, whose victory over Mensik has raised expectations around him. The lefty will now face Karen Khachanov and is positioned in a section of the draw that is more accessible and favorable for him to continue his romance with these courts.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El tenis estadounidense iguala un registro histórico positivo en el US Open 2026