In the aftermath of the 2025 U.S. Open, one trend is hard to ignore: the drought of American male success. While the United States has plenty of male talent, with American men making up 20% of the top 30 seeds at this year’s Open, the last American man to claim the title was Andy Roddick all the way back in 2003. And this year, no American men even reached the semifinals.  

On the other hand, American women continue to excel at the U.S. Open. Three different American women have claimed the trophy since 2014, and three others have finished as runners-up. That success carried into this year, as American Amanda Anisimova reached the final before falling to Aryna Sabalenka. Anisimova was not the only bright spot: five American women reached the round of 16, representing over 30% of the remaining players. 

When asked about the dry spell for American men, sophomore Eli Heyman said, “Since 2000, tennis has become a lot more global, specifically with Europeans. American men have had trouble adjusting to the Europeans’ new style of play, mostly sticking to playing with power.” The Europeans’ new style of play is more tactical, emphasizing patience, spin and longer rallies to tire out their opponents.  

There is no doubt that the U.S. Open is at an all-time high in terms of ticket sales and overall talent, but fans are still eagerly waiting for an American man to come out on top again.