NEW YORK — In a US Open characterized by US men thriving like they haven't in years, players like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul were widely expected to lead the charge.
But it's Ben Shelton — a 20-year-old heavy hitter from Atlanta, Georgia — who has emerged as the last American man standing in this summer's tournament.
Shelton took down two of his highest-ranked compatriots — world No. 14 Paul and world No. 10 Tiafoe — en route to a blockbuster 2023 US Open semifinal matchup against 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
And he did it just 13 months into his tenure as a professional tennis player; Shelton chose to forgo his remaining college eligibility just a week before last year's tournament in Flushing Meadows.
Get to know Shelton — the budding superstar vying to become the first American to win a Grand Slam men's singles title in two decades — below: