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Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have both been integral for US tennis through their performances across both singles and doubles this season, among others.
With the rise of European tennis players, the influence of the United States in tennis has somewhat dwindled. Still, with the advent of some young and exciting talents, there is a glimmer of hope that American tennis might return to its glory days.
The 2023 season saw a number of US tennis players produce some impressive performances in big tournaments. As a matter of fact, the nation has the most number of players in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. The United States are also the only country to have multiple players in the Top 5 of the WTA rankings courtesy of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
On that note, let's look at the top five moments of US tennis in 2023.
#5. Ben Shelton’s breakthrough
Ben Shelton is currently ranked 17th in the world and reached a career high ranking of World No. 15 in 2023. His big serve, powerful forehand and signature celebration managed to capture the imagination of tennis lovers all over the world.
Shelton reached the semifinals of the 2023 US Open, where he lost to the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic. The 21-year-old also defeated Jannik Sinner to reach the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters and then won the Japan Open, his maiden ATP title.
#4. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula winning Cincinnati Open and Canadian Open, respectively
Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old American tennis sensation, won her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati. She won four singles titles in 2023 and remained one of the more consistent female players in the world.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula won the Canadian Open title to mark yet another cause for celebration for American tennis. These two players proved that women’s tennis in America is just as strong as ever.
#3. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula becoming joint No. 1 in doubles
Gauff and her doubles partner, Pegula, became the joint No. 1 in doubles by reaching the quarterfinals in New York in 2023. Their pair was No. 6 prior to the start of the tournament, but attained the top spot as the previous top pair of Katerina Siniakova and Barbara Krejcikova lost in the second round of the tournament.
#2. United Cup triumph
The Americans won the 2023 United Cup in Australia, thrashing Italy 4-0 in the final in Sydney. Prior to that, they had demolished Poland 5-0 in the semi-final, which means that they managed to win nine consecutive rubbers in the tournament.
Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pagula and Madison Keys all performed impressively in the tournament, giving their opponents no chance whatsoever. The US is the country with the most number of Davis Cup titles (32), but they had not won the United Cup since 2007.
Hence, their triumph was that much more special for them.
#1. Coco Gauff winning her first Grand Slam
Coco Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title in New York in 2023, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. There are surely many more to come, as far as the American teenager is concerned. She had a fine win-loss record in 2023 (51-16) and remains the most exciting teenager in women’s tennis.
With players like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula around, American women’s tennis seems to be in safe hands at the moment.
