Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic recently weighed in on the American tennis landscape. While he believes the USTA provides ample facilities for player development, he noted that American players have historically struggled to evolve as quickly as their European counterparts.
However, Djokovic is optimistic that this is changing, pointing to the rapid rise of talents like Ben Shelton and the recent standout Ethan Quinn as signs of a promising future.
Novak Djokovic Gets Honest on the American Tennis Landscape During Australian Open With Ben Shelton Reference
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, is progressing steadily at the ongoing Australian Open, having reached the fourth round following a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Botic van de Zandschulp. During his post-match press conference, the Serb was asked what led to the shift in American men’s dominance in tennis over the past two decades.
For context, Andy Roddick, who retired in 2012, remains the last American man to win a Grand Slam, claiming the 2003 US Open. The most recent finalist was Taylor Fritz, who fell to Jannik Sinner in the 2024 US Open final.
Djokovic admitted he isn’t fully familiar with the USTA’s development system but emphasized that the U.S. has never lacked support, infrastructure, or tournaments, highlighting the US Open and substantial resources as evidence of a strong foundation.
“I’m not really sure how to answer that. Obviously I’m not familiar with the system of the USTA and how it’s rolled out across America and how the coaches are working and approaching the, I guess, systematic development of players. I don’t think that the USA is lacking any tournaments in any category, for that matter. I think you obviously have the US Open. Any country that has a Grand Slam has the biggest budget in the sport, so it’s one of the richest federations. I think the support was always there,” he said.
Novak Djokovic was asked about why American men don’t dominate tennis anymore:
“I don’t think you’re lacking players… it’s just, maybe at the moment, you don’t have someone that would take it to the next step and play for Grand Slams and be top player of the world. But that… pic.twitter.com/ig1hmtpLoG
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 24, 2026
The former World No. 1 suggested multiple factors contributed to American men’s recent struggles, but he’s optimistic, citing rising talents like Ben Shelton and Ethan Quinn as evidence that a new generation is emerging. Notably, while Shelton has reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, Quinn made a breakthrough run, reaching the third round, but eventually fell to Jakub Menšík in straight sets.
“I don’t know. It could be different factors, you know,” he said. Could be some of the things that you mentioned with the way the game evolved, and then maybe there was a period where the American players weren’t able to adapt as good as maybe Europeans in the last couple of decades. You could argue that’s one of the things,” he said.
“I think eventually, I mean, you have Ben Shelton now and some young guys. One of them playing now, [Ethan] Quinn, that is tall, big serve, big game. They’re all knocking on the door there. I don’t think you’re lacking players,” he added.
Djokovic Doesn’t See a ‘Reason for Concern’ in American Tennis
Later in his explanation, Djokovic noted that while no American male currently dominates Grand Slams, the situation could change quickly, highlighting the strong performance of American women.
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“It’s just maybe at the moment you don’t have someone that would take it to the next step and play for Grand Slams and be a top player of the world, but that could change very quickly, because women’s tennis is doing very well currently with American players,” he said.
Notably, four American women, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and defending Australian Open champion Madison Keys, are in the WTA top 10. The last American woman to win a Grand Slam was Gauff at the 2025 French Open, while Anisimova reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open that same year.
Djokovic expressed confidence in American tennis, citing the abundance of talent and experience, including international coaches.
“I think that there is not too big a reason for concern. I’m sure with incredible talent, but also, the amount of coaches that are there, also international coaches that live in the States and are contributing to American players and development of the American tennis system, eventually you’re going to have big champions, I think, in the near future. Yeah, it could be all these things, but I think it’s not a big issue. It’s just a matter of time,” he said.
Currently, four Americans, Ben Shelton, Learner Tien, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul, have reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. The question now is whether one of them can finally end the long-standing Grand Slam title drought in men’s tennis.
