Is Taylor Fritz the best hope to end the U.S. men's major title drought?

As we make our way toward the 2025 season—which begins Friday, December 27 with the United Cup—our writers and editors tackle the most important questions of the new year.

Seventh question: Is Taylor Fritz the best hope to end the U.S. men's major title drought?

Scroll down past this article to read more Burning Questions on 2025.

MATT FITZGERALD: As enticing as it is to pick a field that features three men who are past major semifinalists, I’ll stick with the guy who has maintained his place as the leader of the U.S. class.

Fritz will enjoy his most favorable Grand Slam seeding to date at the season’s first major, where he avoids defending Australian Open champ Jannik Sinner until at least the semifinals and can only meet Carlos Alcaraz in the final. It’s a prime opportunity to make a statement right out of the gate, at the Grand Slam event directly following Fritz’s US Open runner-up finish.

The 27-year-old won 17 matches at majors in 2024, more than double his previous best effort in a single season. That consistency will be put to the test in the New Year, but Fritz will continue to push his ceiling to the limits—evidenced by his eleven Top 10 wins (four at majors) across three different surfaces in his most recent campaign.

I feel like I belong. It's a different feeling. It's been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That's a huge part of having the big results. Taylor Fritz

PETE BODO: Taylor Fritz has functioned as the pace car for American men’s tennis, a role that he has fulfilled with humility and tact. His week-to-week consistency has been as exemplary as his diligence.

The 27-year old Californian’s 55-33 W-L record at the majors translates to the best winning percentage (62%) among his generational peers and rivals, including Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul. Fritz has gone deeper in Slams than any active US player, with a runner-up US Open finish.

Fritz is 15-4 overall and 8-2 in majors and Masters events against the four other US players currently in the ATP’s Top 25: Paul (no. 12), Tiafoe (no. 18), Ben Shelton (no. 21) and Sebastian Korda (no. 22). If Fritz is hearing footsteps, though, they probably belong to the youngsters in this cohort.

Shelton, the southpaw with heart-stopping serve, is just 22. But he’s the only one in this elite group whose Grand Slam winning percentage (68% on a 19-9 record) tops that of Fritz. Of course, Fritz played at the peak of the Big Three era and, partly for that reason, he did not punch through to a major quarterfinal until his 24th try. Just nine majors into his career, Shelton has already been a quarterfinalist twice - and a semifinalist at the 2023 US Open, where he posted successive wins over Paul and Tafoe.

At 24, Korda is two years older than Shelton. The son of two retired Czech stars, Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova, Sebastian’s progress has been interrupted a few times by injuries. He’s only been to one major quarterfinal in 16 Grand Slam starts, but his record against his countrymen is outstanding: 3-3 v. Tiafoe, 4-2 v. Paul, 1-0 v. Shelton and 1-2 v. Fritz.

The popular cliche holds that “it's lonely at the top,” but when it comes to the American game, it’s pretty crowded up there.

LIYA DAVIDOV: Taylor Fritz is the backbone to American men’s tennis on tour today, but does he have what it takes to be the one to breakthrough at the Slam level?

He’s the most likely contender among the lot considering his experience, but we’ve seen before that the pressure of American men’s tennis on his shoulders cost him. For the lot chasing the prize, however, any lingering pressure is fueling the achievement instead of weighing them down.

Tommy Paul as the next ranked American has officially found his footing amongst the top competitors, his passion for success balancing out the personal pressure to achieve. Frances Tiafoe is officially settled into the fame following his 2022 semifinal run at the US Open, which hopefully means he can find his footing once more as a top American competitor. With another season under his belt, Ben Shelton continues to show maturity as an evolution into a professional player.

While he might not be a front-runner at Slams, he is a dark horse to keep an eye on. Sebastian Korda on his return has nothing to lose – a dangerous quality in any ambitious undertaking, especially in professional athletics.

It's a good time to be an American tennis fan. We’ve seen all the top Americans reach the second half of Slams, and 2025 may be the year for a new champion.

Stay tuned for Monday's question: Is 2025 a make or break season for Holger Rune?