Tennis: Incredible, this legend gives the name of a future Grand Slam winner

Present as always at the Laver Cup which bears his name, the legend Rod Laver continues his appearances at major tournaments on the ATP circuit. The Australian, the only player to have achieved the calendar Grand Slam in the Open era, recently spoke in a question/answer session on his Twitter account. And he strongly believes in a certain domination of American tennis in the years to come.

Since last year, a certain feeling of revolt on the side of Uncle Sam’s country seems to be emerging. Indeed, once the dominant nation, the United States has lost its splendor over the past 20 years, the date of the last title in Grand Slam at men’s (Andy Roddick at theUS Open). One of the indicators of this American revival perhaps lies in the results during the Making Cup : the Team World, defeated each time, has just won the last two editions. And Rod Laver believes a lot in a new face: Ben Shelton.

Shelton, the next American winner?

University champion in 2022, Ben Shelton launched his professional career a little over a year ago. The 20-year-old American made a few splashes and managed to climb into the top 100 at the very end of the year. For his first trip outside his country, he reached the quarter-finals at theAustralian Open before toiling all season untilUS Open, where he finished as a semi-finalist. He is now 20th. “Shelton is the new nugget on the circuit. We’re going to see him win a Grand Slam. He has one of the greatest serves at the moment, he’s a left-hander with power, he doesn’t make many unforced errors. When he sees an opening, he goes for it ” estimated Rod Laver.

Tennis: Nadal winner at Roland-Garros? The crazy prediction https://t.co/xS7ehpvw8j pic.twitter.com/TDNRngcyFK

— le10sport (@le10sport) September 27, 2023

An undeniable American revival

With the presence of several American players in the top 20 or even the top 10 for two seasons, it is certain that something is happening on the other side of the Atlantic. Behind the two victories of the Team World to the Making Cupcomposed mainly of Americans, there are so many players capable of achieving great victories. Rod Laver actually made a big prediction. “All members of the Top 10 can stand out and even win in Melbourne. But I would definitely see a surprise finalist like Tiafoe. He’s certainly capable of it.” confirms the Australian.

A historic famine

For a nation like the United States, 20 years without a title in Grand Slam is more than a famine. It is a catastrophe for this country which saw tennis appear a very long time ago. But for two decades, Europe has got its hands on men’s tennis and a priori, we will have to wait a little longer. For the moment, it seems difficult to see Ben Shelton impose oneself in Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic has not yet finished his career and his succession already seems well assured…