Why Indian Wells could be most anticipated event for American men in years
Just two American men, John Isner and Sam Querrey, were ranked among the top 50 tennis players in the world at the end of 2013. That number jumped to four American men among the top 50 at the end of 2014, 2015 and 2016.
The number went to five in 2017 before dropping again to four in 2018. It was evident that this period was not a golden age of American men’s tennis.
But by the end of 2021, six American men were inside the top 50. Then, by the end of 2022, the number shot up to nine. Last month, 11 American men had climbed inside the top 50 — marking the most for the United States since 1995.
That group, led by fifth-ranked Southern California native Taylor Fritz, the defending BNP Paribas Open champion, return this year to Indian Wells for what just might be the most anticipated tournament for the American men in decades.
“Most of us, if not all of us, play better when we have people behind us in the stands, cheering for us and wanting us to win and getting loud behind us,” said 19th-ranked Tommy Paul, a New Jersey native. “It helps everyone, so I think we’re all really excited for that.”
First-round men's main draw matches begin Wednesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with the 2023 BNP Paribas Open championship held March 19.
The Americans boast the defending champion at this major American tournament, and they also will have nine top 50 players participating. Sebastian Korda, a Florida native who is ranked 26, is out with an injury. Mackenzie McDonald, a California native who has fallen just outside of the top 50, will also play in the main draw.
With Paul, who reached the semifinals at the Australian Open in January, and 16th-ranked Frances Tiafoe, who grew up in Maryland and advanced to the semifinals at the U.S. Open last September, the American men include players who competed in semifinals in the last two Grand Slams.
“It’s a great indication of what’s to come for the future of American men’s tennis,” said former player Michael Russell, who coaches Fritz.
Among the things that make this group of American men unique is that they are all in varying stages of their careers. There’s Fritz, Paul and Tiafoe who are in their mid-20s and in their prime, playing the best tennis of their careers. Then there’s Isner, ranked 39th, who is 37 years old and still a tough out at any tournament.
Maxime Cressy, age 25, and J.J. Wolf, 24, are surging up the rankings. Korda, 22, Georgia native Ben Shelton, 20, along with California natives Brandon Nakashima, 21, and Jenson Brooksby, 22, each appear to be rising stars in the game.
“The way tennis is now, it’s more open, there’s more people who can beat anybody on any given day and there’s a lot of really strong American players," said Fritz, who is the first American man to be ranked inside the top five since Andy Roddick in 2009. "The levels are close enough that whoever is playing better that day is going to win. There’s nobody that’s really that much better than anybody else.”
With Fritz breaking through to win Indian Wells last year, it was huge for the Americans, players have said. He became the first American to win the singles title at the BNP Paribas Open since Andre Agassi and Serena Williams did so in 2001.
That provided his contemporaries with the confidence to do it, Paul said, at a time when many of them are playing the best tennis of their careers.
“Most of us played well there,” Paul said, “and we felt a lot of support from the crowd last year. It really felt like a home tournament, and it was a really, really cool thing for us because in the past it hasn’t always been that way.”
The American men have not won consecutive titles at Indian Wells since 1997, when Michael Chang won to extend a streak of seven consecutive titles by American men. It began with Jim Courier winning in 1991 and during the streak Courier won two Indian Wells championships, Pete Sampras won two and Chang won three.
Fritz and Paul are among those who believe the American men have a decent shot to start another streak. Paul said that it is a goal for all the American men competing this year, and he believes that at least five or six of them can realistically win it this year.
“Obviously, all of us want that to happen and all of us are going to do everything in our power to make that happen this year,” Paul said. “It’ll be really interesting to watch. It’ll be a really fun tournament to be a part of.”
Andrew John covers the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
Top-ranked American men
Ten American men are ranked among the ATP top-50 entering Indian Wells, and nine of them will compete in the desert.
Taylor Fritz (5)
Frances Tiafoe (16)
Tommy Paul (19)
Sebastian Korda (26) *
Maxime Cressy (37)
John Isner (39)
Ben Shelton (41)
J.J. Wolf (44)
Brandon Nakashima (48)
Jenson Brooksby (49)
*Injured, will not play at Indian Wells
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: Indian Wells brings high hopes for American men
