With Wimbledon just around the corner, it is a great time for American tennis on the ATP Tour. According to the Associated Press, there are now two American men ranked inside the top 10 on Monday for the first time since 2012.
Frances Tiafoe of Hyattsville, Maryland, the 2022 United States Open semifinalist, moved up from 12th to 10th in the world following his tournament win at the 2023 Boss Open in Stuttgart, Germany on Sunday. Tiafoe passed Karen Khachanov of Russia and Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the world rankings.
Tiafoe joins Taylor Fritz of San Diego, California in the top 10. Fritz, is eighth in the world with 3515 points, and Tiafoe has 3085 points. Reigning French Open champion, Australian Open champion, and Wimbledon champion, Novak Djokovic of Serbia is number one in the world with 7595 points.
In the Stuttgart final, Tiafoe defeated fan favourite Jan-Lennard Struff in the final, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. Tiafoe won the second set tie-break quite handily 7-1, but then narrowly won the third set tie-break 10-8. This was Tiafoe’s third ATP Tour win, but first on grass. He previously won the 2018 Delray Beach Open, and then the 2023 United States Men’s Clay Court Championships. When Tiafoe won the Delray Beach Open five years ago, he beat another German in the final, Peter Gojowczyk, 6-1, 6-4.
It is interesting that Fritz is eighth in the world when he has never reached a grand slam semifinal. The two Americans last ranked in the top 10 at the same time were Mardy Fish of Edina, Minnesota (ninth) and John Isner of Greensboro, North Carolina (10th). Isner made the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2018.
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