Miami Open: Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz Make Their Preference Clear Between Hollywood and Broadway in a Quirky Segment

The second leg of the Sunshine Double, the Miami Open has begun. The move from Indian Wells, which is on the West Coast to Miami on the East Coast lets the players participate and experience the diverse culture of the two coasts. The cuisine, the dialects, and the clothes, all differ in varying proportions. Thus giving rise to the famed rivalry of the east and west coast.

While it is a novel experience for players from other parts of the world, for the Americans, it is nothing too surprising. Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton recently took part in a quiz based on the East Coast – West Coast rivalry.

East Coast or West Coast?

In the latest video posted by the official Instagram handle of the ATP tour, Paul, Tiafoe, Fritz, and Shelton can be seen taking part in an East Coast – West Coast quiz ahead of their Miami Open matches. The questions are asked to know the players’ preferences between eateries, monuments, tourist spots, and sports teams of the East and West Coast.

The first question was to know about their preference between Shake Shack and In-N-Out outlets. Shake Shack’s reputation as an East Coast establishment would clash with the already popular and iconic West Coast chain, In-N-Out. The fourth one is also interesting as it asks them their preference between Broadway and Hollywood. All of them except for Paul answer it in favor of Hollywood, making it a clear winner!

Since all of them will play in the Miami Open, the seventh one got a bit tricky. It directly asked them about their preference between Venice Beach on the West Coast and Miami Beach on the East Coast. All of them answered in favor of Miami Beach except for Shelton.

Interestingly, there might be a reason behind the similar choices made by the players. Maybe it is because, barring Shelton, this is a group of boys who almost came up together through the junior ranks. They have similar ages and their breakthrough years are also very closely stacked.

Future of American tennis

In 2015, this group stirred excitement with headlines dubbing them the ‘Future of American tennis’ as they collectively clinched a single-nation junior triple crown at the Grand Slams. Paul secured the boys’ title at Roland Garros, Opelka triumphed at Wimbledon, and Fritz emerged victorious at the US Open.

Setting them apart from previous U.S. men’s tennis generations, these players were not just colleagues but also friends. They shared quarters in USTA dormitories and found themselves in various misadventures, with Paul earning the group’s moniker ‘Ferris Bueller’ due to his lively personality. “That was his personality,” Rielly Opelka recalled.

“He was the mischief troublemaker,” added Opelka. With Opelka on an extended injury break, his place has been taken by 21-year-old Ben Shelton. Paul, Tiafoe, Fritz, and Shelton currently represent the best of American male tennis talent on the professional circuit.

Their rankings in the ATP standings are incredibly tight, showcasing their competitive prowess. Fritz leads the contingent at number 13, closely followed by Paul at 14. Shelton and Tiafoe are not far behind, holding positions at 17 and 22, respectively.

With all of them coming down a rank or 2  after the Indian Wells Master Cup, except for Paul who’s made an impressive jump, it’ll be interesting to see how the Miami Open turns out for them.

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