The focus of men’s professional tennis now shifts to the United States as the entire ATP Tour heads to Tennis Paradise for the prestigious BNP Paribas Open Masters 1000. With the States hosting the Sunshine Doubles throughout March, the top American men, including Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and others, immediately find themselves in the spotlight.
Eugenie Bouchard and other former pros recently gave their verdicts, discussing which American man will seize the opportunity and emerge at the top in Indian Wells.
Eugenie Bouchard and Others Discuss Which American Man Will Excel in Indian Wells
With the unexpected and abrupt conclusion of the Dubai ATP 500 tournament, the professional tennis world now heads to Indian Wells. The Masters and WTA 1000 event is the largest combined men’s and women’s tournament after the four Grand Slams, earning it the nickname the “fifth slam.”
British No. 1 Jack Draper is the reigning men’s champion, whereas the Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva stunned World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka last year to lift the women’s title.
As the tournament is scheduled in the United States, all eyes will be on the top American men – Shelton, Fritz, and Tommy Paul. This has led to multiple discussions and debates between tennis pros and analysts who compare the chances of these men succeeding on their home grounds.
In a recent such discussion on the Tennis Channel, Bouchard, Sam Querrey, and Roger Federer’s former coach, Paul Annacone, shared their views. The Canadian started with backing World No. 9 Shelton strongly, suggesting, “The evolution of his game has been so impressive, and he often plays his best at the biggest events. With Indian Wells looking like the biggest U.S. tournament behind the US Open itself, Tennis Paradise is an ideal stage for Shelton, who already won a first Masters 1000 title in Canada last summer.”
However, former American pro Querrey’s pick differed from Bouchard’s, as he named Paul as the favorite to lift the trophy in California: “Tommy’s clearly eager to get himself back in the mix after losing ground to Fritz and Shelton in the back half of 2025. Back to full health in Australia, he played great to reach the second week and gave Carlos Alcaraz all he could handle over three close sets in the fourth round. If he’s healthy and playing well, he just may be the most dangerous American man in the field.”
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Meanwhile, Annacone believed Fritz, who has already achieved immense success at the tournament, can not be overlooked, saying, “Total transparency: how can I go against my man in his hometown tournament? A tournament he’s the only one of his countrymen to have won before, no less.”
Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul’s Previous Performances in Indian Wells
American men dominated the early editions of the tournament, with legends such as Jimmy Connors, Roscoe Tanner, Jim Courier, Michael Chang, and Pete Sampras winning multiple titles. However, Andre Agassi’s win in 2001 was the last for more than two decades, as Fritz is the most recent American to win the tournament back in 2022, defeating Rafael Nadal in the championship match.
Fritz first competed in the main draw in 2016, losing to fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the first round. He then reached the semifinals in 2021, defeating Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev en route, losing only to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the final four. However, since lifting the title, he has reached the QF only once and was eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2024 and 2025.
Shelton, on the other hand, is in great form since his breakthrough season last year. He won the Masters 1000 title in Canada and was in great form until a shoulder injury halted his momentum at the US Open. Despite the setback, he made a deep run in Melbourne, losing to the two-time defending champion Sinner in the QF. He then lifted the ATP 500 title in Dallas, defeating Fritz in the championship match, to become the first American since Andy Roddick to lift more than two titles above the ATP 250 level.
World No. 22 Paul’s best result at a Masters 1000 tournament is his semifinal appearance in 2024, when he defeated Ugo Humbert and Casper Ruud en route to the final four. However, he lost to the eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev, ending his campaign at Tennis Paradise. He showed great form recently, reaching the final of the Delray Beach Open last week, losing to compatriot Sebastian Korda.
As the commencing date of the main draw nears, Shelton, Fritz, and Paul will be looking forward to dominating the fields in Indian Wells to gather some crucial ranking points and get back in their best form for the rest of the season.
