Mar 22, 2022 - Sports
Taylor Fritz's win continues American men's tennis resurgence
- Kendall Baker, author of Axios Sports
Taylor Fritz celebrates his victory. Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Taylor Fritz beat Rafael Nadal on Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open in his native California, catapulting him to No. 13 in the world.
The big picture: American men's tennis is on the rise again after struggling for years. There are currently seven Americans in the ATP top 40 (most of any country) and 12 in the top 100 (most of any country).
- Top 40: Fritz (No. 13), Reilly Opelka (No. 18), John Isner (No. 22), Frances Tiafoe (No. 31), Tommy Paul (No. 37), Sebastian Korda (No. 38), Jenson Brooksby (No. 39).
- Top 100: Marcos Giron (No. 52), Mackenzie McDonald (No. 54), Maxime Cressy (No. 72), Brandon Nakashima (No. 80), Denis Kudla (No. 84).
Flashback: Last May, there were no American men in the top 30 for the first time in the nearly half-century history of computerized tennis rankings.
What they're saying: While Europeans still dominate the top 10, ESPN analyst and former pro Patrick McEnroe is "very optimistic" about Americans challenging for major championships.