The 2024 major season ended with two Americans — Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula — playing for the singles titles at the US Open. Their collective success, as well as that of other Americans throughout the year, set up high expectations for 2025.
With 14 men and 19 women competing in the main draws at the Australian Open, it seemed as if chances were high for more deep runs at the year’s first Slam. Now that we’re officially into the second week in Melbourne, it’s safe to say, the American contingent is living up to the hype. A history-making six men and five women from the United States reached the third round.
While Fritz and Pegula were upset in the round of 32, and other notable names such as Frances Tiafoe and Amanda Anisimova were also sent home early, seven Americans made it to the fourth round — the most in the round of 16 at the Australian Open since 2004.
No American has won the title Down Under since Sofia Kenin did so in 2020, and no American man has done it since Andre Agassi claimed victory in 2003.
Will this be the year fortunes change for those representing the red, white and blue? Here are the Americans remaining in the draw, and how they got here.
Coco Gauff
Who she has beaten so far: Sofia Kenin, Jodie Burrage, No. 30 Leylah Fernandez, Belinda Bencic
Up next: Paula Badosa (quarterfinals)
Despite being just 20 years old, Gauff has been one of the country’s most consistent performers over the past two seasons. She won her first and only (for now, anyway) major title at the 2023 US Open, and after making some technical and personnel changes with her team, she recovered from a challenging 2024 season by closing it out with the trophy at the WTA Finals.
The No. 3-seeded Gauff has opened the 2025 season with eight consecutive victories — becoming just the fifth woman in the Open Era to achieve such a record — and helped lead the U.S. team to a championship at the United Cup earlier this month. In the final, she defeated world No. 2 and five-time major champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 for her second straight win over the Polish superstar.
In Melbourne, Gauff has only dropped one set and has charmed the crowds with her Marvel-inspired looks and funny on-court interviews.
And she didn’t seem too concerned about matching her 2024 semifinal result at the tournament, and instead shared her newfound perspective Friday after her win over Fernandez.
“Tennis feels so high stakes, but it’s really not,” Gauff said. “I’m so lucky to do what I do — [and] also get paid doing it. “My biggest thing I learned last year is just not to take anything for granted, and [I] just realized this time is going to go by so fast.
“Hopefully, it doesn’t feel like it in the moment but I’m sure 20 years from now I’ll be, ‘Dang, sometimes I wish I could go back.’ I’m just trying to enjoy it while I’m here.”
Who he has beaten so far: Christopher O’Connell, Kei Nishikori, Roberto Carballes Baena, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Up next: Alexander Zverev (quarterfinals)
The 27-year-old had the best major result of his career in Melbourne in 2023 when he reached the semifinals — and he certainly looks like he’s capable of repeating that feat again this time around.
Paul, the tournament’s No. 12 seed, needed five sets (and a medical timeout for treatment on his shoulder) to get past O’Connell, an Aussie who had the crowd behind him, in the first round. But since then, he has breezed through his matches against Nishikori, Carballes Baena and Davidovich Fokina.
And regardless of what happens going forward, Paul is expected to break into the top 10 for the first time in his career when the rankings are released following the Australian Open. He is currently No. 9 in the live rankings.
Who she has beaten so far: Peyton Stearns, Wang Xiyu, Ons Jabeur
Up next: No. 9 Daria Kasatkina (fourth round)
The No. 8 seed Navarro had a breakthrough season in 2024, reaching the semifinals at the US Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, in addition to winning her first WTA title (Hobart) and making the Olympic team.
While she went just 1-2 in her two lead-in tournaments ahead of the Australian Open, it seems the 23-year-old has brought her best, or at least grittiest, tennis to Melbourne. She has needed deciding sets in all three matches thus far, and she managed to hold off a resurgent Jabeur in Saturday’s third-round clash, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
“I love three sets! I love tennis so much I can’t resist, I got to play three sets” Navarro joked on court after the match. “I just wanted to stick in there and keep believing in myself and know that if I put myself in the best position to do what I want to do, then maybe I’ll come out and top. I was able to do that.”
She then went on to credit her dad for her endurance in long matches and how he used to “drag” her and her siblings into grueling hikes and bike rides.
Navarro, a former NCAA champion, is now into the fourth round at the event for the first time — and she has reached the second week at all four majors in just her ninth Slam appearance. She is the only American woman besides Gauff to have reached the four major fourth rounds since the start of last season.
She will take on Kasatkina, a 2022 French Open semifinalist, on Monday in their first career meeting. The 27-year-old Kasatkina has not lost a set so far in Melbourne and has dropped just 12 total games.
Alex Michelsen
Who he has beaten so far: No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas, James McCabe, No. 19 Karen Khachanov
Up next: No. 8 Alex de Minaur (fourth round)
There is perhaps no one in the tournament with a more impressive run to the fourth round than 20-year-old Michelsen.
Making just his second appearance at the Australian Open — and having reached the third round during his debut in 2024 — Michelsen is the third-youngest American man since Andy Roddick did so in 2003 to reach the second week in Melbourne, and the sixth youngest in the Open Era. He is also just the third U.S. men’s player since 1990 (14 years before he was born) to defeat two ATP top-20 players before the round of 16 at a major.
During his first-round stunner over Tsitsipas, a 2023 finalist at the event, Michelsen played fearless tennis and took control early. Despite the moment and the opponent, Michelsen and his confidence never wavered. He defeated his far-more-experienced opponent in four sets. On Saturday against Khachanov, a 2023 Australian Open semifinalist, he won in straight sets and successfully thwarted any of Khachanov’s efforts to get back into the match.
“I played unbelievable for most of the match,” Michelsen said on court. “I don’t know what’s going on. … I’ve never hit my forehand that well. I’m super happy and hope to keep this momentum going.”
Having already won over the crowd with his audacious play, he continued to enamor fans in the stands as he joked about not having time to properly chat with his mother back home in California earlier in the day.
“Mom, hi! I’m sorry I only called you for a minute this morning. I had things to do,” he said looking into the camera. “I love you. I miss you. I hope everything’s good at home.”
Currently ranked No. 42, Michelsen is now projected to rise to a career high of No. 34 in the latest rankings after Saturday’s win — and would be just outside the top 30 with another victory. He has twice played against De Minaur, splitting their two matches but winning their lone hard-court contest in Los Cabos this past February 6-4, 6-1.
Who she has beaten so far: Ann Li, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, No. 10 Danielle Collins, No. 6 Elena Rybakina
Up next: Elina Svitolina (quarterfinals)
Perhaps the most experienced American remaining, the 29-year-old Keys is a two-time semifinalist in Melbourne and also played in the 2017 US Open final. The No. 19 seed opened her 2025 season with a quarterfinal appearance in Auckland and the title last week in Adelaide. She is now riding a nine-match win streak into the quarterfinals, following her fourth-round victory over 2023 Australian Open finalist Rybakina.
The victory marked her sixth win over a top-10 opponent at the Australian Open, but only her second since beating Barbora Krejcikova, the then-No. 4 seed, in the quarterfinals in 2022. The first came just two nights before, when she defeated fellow American Collins.
“I’ve been playing some good tennis,” Keys said on court Saturday night. “I always really love playing in Australia.”
Who he has beaten so far: Brandon Nakashima, Pablo Carreno Busta, No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti
Up next: Gael Monfils (fourth round)
The 22-year-old Shelton has gone somewhat under the radar during his latest run in Melbourne as his (slightly) younger cohorts receive much of the limelight. He even joked about being “old news” at the start of his news conference on Saturday. However, that might not be the case for much longer, and he’s not all that far removed from his own star turn at the tournament.
Two years ago, and playing outside of the United States for the first time, Shelton was the surprise quarterfinalist at the Australian Open and went on to advance to the semifinals at the US Open later in the year. Since then, he has become one of the country’s best-known players and has won two ATP titles. During the first week in Melbourne, he has dropped just two sets and has largely been in control during all three of his matches. During Saturday’s clash with Musetti, who had beaten him in both of their previous meetings, Shelton staved off a decider by gutting out the victory in a fourth-set tiebreak for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win.
“He’s definitely one of the most talented guys on tour,” Shelton, the No. 21 seed, said after the match. “One of the top three shot-makers on tour. He does some things you can’t believe when he’s on the court. … We say on tour if someone beats you three times in a row, they’re your daddy, so I was fighting to not let that happen.”
It marked Shelton’s third victory over a top-20 player at a Slam. He is now one match away from replicating his previous best result in Melbourne and from reaching the third major quarterfinal of his career. But it won’t be easy against the resurgent Monfils, a 38-year-old fan favorite who came back to defeat the heavily favored Fritz on Saturday. Shelton and Monfils have never played, but it has the potential to be an electrifying classic between two of the tour’s best showmen. Shelton talked about watching Monfils’ career highlights on YouTube and said he had the “greatest mixtape” in all of tennis.
Shelton is the only seeded player remaining in his quarter of the draw, but he said that was irrelevant to him.
“I always feel like I have a chance,” he told reporters. “I always back myself, I always play the big guys, I feel like I have stuff that can make them uncomfortable. I never walk on the court not thinking I have a chance to win. It’s just the way that I’m wired and probably why I’ve had some success and moments that I probably shouldn’t have had, or before I was really ready for it. I don’t really care who’s on the other side of the court.”
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