USA might have 5 seeds for US Open as Rafael Nadal suffers one other drop
America might have as many as 5 male gamers seeded on the US Open subsequent month after a shake-up of the ATP world rankings following the Wimbledon Championship. But the highest 32 gamers will not embrace four-time US champion Rafael Nadal who has continued to plummet down the listing while out injured.
The USA has not returned a male Wimbledon champion since Pete Sampras gained the final of his seven grasscourt Grand Slam titles 23 years in the past. That grim statistic has continued for one more yr however there have been some optimistic actions on the planet rankings so far as the US is anxious.
None extra so than shock package deal Chris Eubanks whose thrilling run to the quarter-finals elevated him 11 locations to world No. 31. The 27-year-old solely clinched his first ever ATP title the week earlier than the All England Club championship on the Mallorca Open however was in a position to convey his effective grasscourt type into SW19, taking the scalps of British favorite Cam Norrie and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas within the course of.
Taylor Fritz, the top-ranked American at No 9 on the planet, couldn’t make it previous the second spherical at Wimbledon, dropping to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer in straight units, however with 5 profession titles to his identify he stays well-placed for a title tilt at his dwelling Slam in New York.
It was the same story for Frances Tiafoe, who additionally misplaced within the spherical of 64 to Grigor Dimitrov. But he stays on the planet’s high 10 and already has two titles to his identify this season.
Also exiting the match within the second spherical was Tommy Paul, dropping out to Jiri Lehecka in a marathon 5 units, however the 25-year-old American nonetheless managed to maneuver up one please on the planet rankings to No 14.
The solely main American to see his rating drop this week is Seb Korda, who has moved down three locations to world No 28. Following the development of his friends, Korda, 23, additionally noticed his Grand Slam curiosity curtailed within the second spherical by the hands of rank-outsider Jiri Vesely in a shock end result.
But it signifies that due to the exploits of Eubank the US nonetheless stands likelihood of fielding 5 seeded males when the US Open finally will get underway on Monday, August 28.
One man who shall be hoping to be again in rivalry by the point this season’s closing grand slam will get underway is tennis icon Nadal. The 37-year-old has not struck a ball in anger since being pressured out of the Australian Open in January and consequently has seen his rating fully disintegrate.
Even by June 12, the previous world No 1 was nonetheless fifteenth within the rankings however right this moment he’s a hundred and fortieth and has all of it to do when he finally returns to the courtroom.