American men's tennis having breakthrough at Australian Open | Opinion

The first week of the Australian Open has been a breakthrough for a young generation of American men’s tennis players who are just starting to make inroads on the pro tour.

Though it’s still a long shot for any of them to break a Grand Slam title drought that extends to Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open, there will be eight young American players in the final 32 of the Australian Open with a good chance that one or two could make the semifinals. Better yet, several of them have been on the rise lately and could become regulars in the latter stages of the Grand Slams.

Here are the eight Americans still alive for the Australian Open title:

Mackenzie McDonald

Age: 27

Ranking: 65

Best Grand Slam result: Wimbledon fourth round, 2018

The backstory: A former NCAA singles champion at UCLA, McDonald was progressing toward the top 50 when he suffered a major hamstring injury at the 2019 French Open. Since then, he’s posted some good results but nothing as impressive as beating No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal in the second round here. Though Nadal was compromised by a hip injury, McDonald was excellent tactically and with his execution in the first two sets before the injury became a major factor.

Next up: No. 31 seed Yoshihito Nishioka, an excellent mover/defensive player who has played the best tennis of his career since the second half of the 2022 season.

Frances Tiafoe

Age: 24

Ranking: 17

Best Grand Slam result: U.S. Open semifinals, 2022

The backstory: Since bringing in longtime pro Wayne Ferreira as coach and taking his game more seriously, Tiafoe has really transformed his career over the last couple years. Though still a showman on the court, the College Park, Maryland, native uses his big weapons with more discipline and consistency and has rocketed up the rankings as a result. After last year's breakthrough run at the U.S. Open, he is entering his prime years with belief that he can win a Slam.

Next up: No. 18 seed Karen Khachanov, a towering Russian whom he lost to in two previous meetings, both at Wimbledon.

Sebastian Korda

Age: 22

Ranking: 31

Best Grand Slam result: Wimbledon fourth round, 2021

The backstory: After a bit of a sophomore slump, Korda finally strung together good results at the very end of 2022, making finals in Gijon and Antwerp and backing it up with a very close loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of a warm-up event a couple weeks ago. The son of Petr Korda, who won the Australian Open in 1998, Korda is such a fluid mover and technically sound player that he really should contend for Slam titles when he hits his prime.

Next up: No. 7 Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion and two-time Australian Open finalist who has not played his best tennis over the last several months but loves the conditions Down Under.

Ben Shelton

Age: 20

Ranking: 89

Best Grand Slam result: U.S. Open first round, 2022

The backstory: After winning the 2022 NCAA singles title at Florida, Shelton racked up a few impressive wins in events last summer and was convinced it was time to turn pro. A 6-foot-4 lefty with a massive serve and explosive forehand, Shelton won three straight Challenger Tour titles at the end of 2022 to break into the top 100 and is now viewed as a legitimate prospect to rise to the top of the game. Remarkably, this Australian Open is just his second Grand Slam and first time he's ever stepped foot outside the U.S.

Next up: Unseeded Australian Alexei Popyrin, who had a miserable season in 2022 (5-17 record on the ATP Tour) but played well this week, upending American No. 8 seed Taylor Fritz in the second round.

J.J. Wolf

Age: 24

Ranking: 67

Best Grand Slam result: U.S. Open third round, 2022

The backstory: Wolf turned pro in 2019 after being named Big Ten player of the year at Ohio State and has spent a lot of time refining his game on the Challenger Tour. Last year, though, Wolf became more of a regular on the main tour and started notching some impressive wins over top-30 players like Lorenzo Sonego, Denis Shapovalov and Roberto Bautista Agut, eventually making his first ATP final in Florence in October. He easily dispatched No. 23 seed Diego Schwartzman in the second round.

Next up: American Michael Mmoh, who got into the field as a so-called “lucky loser.”

Michael Mmoh

Age: 25

Ranking: 107

Best Grand Slam result: Australian Open and U.S. Open second round, 2020

The backstory: It was unclear where Mmoh’s career was headed until he started to post some good Challenger Tour results last fall, winning a couple titles and making another final. Though Mmoh only got into the Australian Open when David Goffin pulled out late due to injury, he’s made the most of the opportunity and beat No. 12 seed Alexander Zverev, who is still working his way back into form after a significant ankle injury.

Next up: Wolf, whom he is 0-2 against in Challenger Tour events.

Tommy Paul

Age: 25

Ranking: 35

Best Grand Slam result: Wimbledon fourth round, 2022

The backstory: Paul has a lot of athleticism and a game well-suited to fast court conditions like in Australia. And while he’s notched several impressive, top-10 quality wins over the course of his career, Paul has lacked a massive result that really puts him on the map with tennis fans. It’s a bit surprising that Paul has just one ATP title, from Stockholm in 2021. Paul got here with a tough five-set win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Next up: Fellow American Jenson Brooksby.

Jenson Brooksby

Age: 22

Ranking: 39

Best Grand Slam result: U.S. Open fourth round, 2021

The backstory: After breaking onto the scene in 2021 as a disruptor with an unorthodox counterpunching style, Brooksby didn’t really make the leap last year and suffered 11 first-round defeats in 22 tournaments played (he also made a pair of finals in Atlanta and Dallas). But Brooksby’s pesky game seems to be locked in once again, as he took out No. 2 seed Casper Ruud in four sets in the second round.

Next up: Paul, who won their only previous meeting 6-3, 6-2 last summer in Cincinnati.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Australian Open showcase for American men's tennis as 8 in round of 32