As the ATP Tour shifts to the clay-court season, the Sunshine Double’s conclusion at the Miami Open raises a pressing question: where are the American champions? Jakub Mensik’s victory over Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper’s triumph over Holger Rune marked two all-European finals, with American men notably absent from the winner’s circle in their own backyard. The last time an American won a title at Indian Wells was Taylor Fritz in 2022, and at the Miami Open, it was John Isner in 2018—it’s quite a long trophy drought now for the American stars in the Sunshine Double. The former American ATP stars are grappling with this reality.

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson didn’t mince words about the American players’ performance in the ATP circuit this year. They noted the lack of awards bearing an American’s name, contrasting it with past achievements like Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open title and Mardy Fish’s career-high ranking of No. 7 – these were the feats earned with performances on home soil. However, the absence of American men winning on their home turf has been stark this year.

Querrey pointed out, “The women in America have done way better than men in the last 20 years. Now, the men are catching them, but it’s like the women are like, “no, no, no,” we’ve got titles this year from Keys, Kesler, Navarro, Pegula. Do you think all American women like the fact that they do a little better than the men?”

Johnson noted, “They have like 23 Slams in the last two decades, maybe more and we have zero. So yeah, they just have dominated.” Compared to the ATP tour, American WTA players have made significant strides. The year kicked off with Madison Keys’ first Grand Slam win against two-time reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka. Jessica Pegula won at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, while Emma Navarro took the Merida Open. Taylor Townsend secured two doubles titles at Dubai and the Australian Open. Coco Gauff leads the pack with her No. 3 ranking and 2023 US Open victory. Over the past few years, American women have been on the rise in the WTA, a stark contrast to the ATP players.

Last year saw an improvement for the American ATP players as well. Taylor Fritz reached the finals of the US Open and ATP Finals, clinching two titles, including one on American soil at the Delray Beach Open. Ben Shelton won the Houston title and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 12. While Tommy Paul secured three titles in Stockholm, London, and Dallas, breaking into the top 10 ranking in January 2025. However, this year, they haven’t made it far. Although the World No. 4 Fritz did reach the semifinals of the Miami Open.

Despite the lack of titles this year from the American ATP players, hope remains that one of them might surprise everyone at the Roland Garros as the clay court season approaches. Frances Tiafoe is one of the big names Sam Querrey is backing to find form pretty soon.

Former pro expresses his candid thoughts over Tiafoe’s performance

Tiafoe is navigating a tough patch in 2025, marked by early exits and a 6-6 win-loss record. Despite his current struggles, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Sam Querrey remains optimistic, saying, “I don’t think anything of serious concern is going on. He is just having a bit of a rough patch for a player of his calibre at the moment.”

Tiafoe’s last title win was in 2023, when he triumphed in Stuttgart and Houston. Querrey noted, “Last summer, he got to the final of Cinci and semi-finaled the US Open, so he had a good pop there late in the summer, and his bar was set really high, and he has struggled to find that form again.”

Tiafoe’s journey in 2024 was a mix of highs and lows. He reached the semifinals at the US Open, showcasing his potential, but struggled in other tournaments. His performance has been inconsistent. Despite this, Tiafoe remains a promising figure in American tennis, having reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 in 2023. Now, he’s gearing up for the Houston Open, where he’ll face Adam Walton on April 3.

As the clay-court season approaches, the other American youngsters like Ben Shelton are looking to make an impact as well. Shelton won his first clay-court title in Houston last year, demonstrating his versatility.

With Tiafoe and his fellow US stars preparing for the upcoming challenges, there’s hope for a breakthrough. Will they overcome their current obstacles and clinch a title? The anticipation is high. Time will tell if the expectations are met. Nevertheless, what do you think about the current form of the American ATP stars?