LONDON — In a historic moment for American tennis, Ben Shelton ascended two spots to secure the No. 10 position in the ATP rankings this Monday, joining forces with compatriots Taylor Fritz at No. 4 and Tommy Paul at No. 8. It’s the first time in nearly two decades that the U.S. boasts three men in the top 10.
Flashback to April 2006 when the American trio featured Andy Roddick at No. 4, James Blake at No. 7, and the legendary Andre Agassi at No. 10.
American women are also making their presence felt, with four representatives in the WTA’s top 10: Coco Gauff at No. 2, Jessica Pegula at No. 3, Madison Keys at No. 6, and Emma Navarro at No. 9, plus Amanda Anisimova just outside at No. 13.
Aryna Sabalenka maintains her stronghold at No. 1, a position she claimed from Iga Swiatek back in October, who has since slipped to No. 8 as of Monday.
In a remarkable feat, 37-year-old Tatjana Maria soared 43 spots to No. 43 after clinching the Queen’s Club title as a qualifier.
The 22-year-old Shelton, who captured the NCAA singles title for the University of Florida in 2022, is just beginning his journey in professional tennis, having never ventured outside the U.S. until this year.
A two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, Shelton impressively reached the semifinals at both the U.S. Open in 2023 and the Australian Open earlier this January.
Fritz also experienced a boost, climbing three spots to equal his career-best ranking after triumphing at the grass-court event in Stuttgart, Germany. Meanwhile, the top three male players remain unchanged: No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, and No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who faced Fritz in the Stuttgart finals.
