Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton and what happens next for American tennis: Olympic race heats up ahead of Paris 2024
Gauff won her maiden major at the US Open as Shelton made a stunning run to the semis. With four singles spots on offer for the Games (two per gender), it's set to be a very competitive race.
Tennis
Who makes the Olympic tennis squad for Team USA this season?
After Coco Gauff's US Open triumph and Ben Shelton's breakthrough 2023, there is intrigue aplenty as to which Americans can claim one of the four singles spots - on both the men's and women's sides, respectively - for the coming Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024.
Shelton is among four men ranked inside the world's top 20, joined by Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul - with 2023 Australian Open quarter-finalist Sebastian Korda ranked 29. It is the strongest the American men have been since Andy Roddick won the nation's last men's singles major at the 2003 US Open.
"It's tight," Fritz said of the race to Paris on Sunday (14 January) after coming through a four-hour five-set battle in the first round of the Australian Open against Facundo Diaz Acosta.
"I hope I qualify; I want to play. I've opted out of the last two Olympics [and] I really want to get one in before [LA 2028] at home, where I think I'll have my best chance to win a medal."
Fritz said recently he would like to see ATP Tour rankings points restored to the Games, especially with Tour events happening simultaneously elsewhere.
Gauff and fellow top five member Jessica Pegula look in prime position to qualify for the women's team, but that's just the beginning for the 19-year-old who says she is eyeing the podium in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
"I just put, ‘I want a medal at any of the events,’” Gauff told reporters of her written 2024 goals. "One of the goals I wrote down... was to win a medal in the Olympics."
She continued: "I’ll be completely honest, I don’t really care what event it is in. I feel like a gold, silver or bronze, whatever medal it is, is one of those things it doesn’t matter. Well, it does matter. Obviously I want to win in singles. I feel like I would appreciate it just as much whether it was in singles or doubles."
Tennis: Team USA's race for Paris 2024
Players must be in good standing with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and their national body, with rankings being used from the week of 10 June 2024, just after the completion of Roland-Garros. You can read more on the qualification process here.
Gauff and Pegula are joined in the top 20 by Olympian Madison Keys, who placed fourth at Rio 2016. Emma Navarro, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, 2017 US Open champ Sloane Stephens and 2022 AO runner-up Danielle Collins are also in the running.
"The Olympics have been a priority in both singles and doubles," Gauff confirmed.
No player has won medals in all three disciplines at a single Olympics in tennis since mixed doubles was added to the modern tennis programme in 2012. Venus Williams has medals in all three at multiple Games, however, adding a mixed doubles silver in 2016 to her four previous golds (one in singles, three in doubles).
Tennis is set to be contested on clay for the first time at a Games since 1992, with Stade Roland-Garros hosting the event.
U.S. maintains tennis strength - in singles & doubles
With Venus playing a limited schedule and Serena Williams having retired in late 2022, the sport has entered a new era in America, especially with the 2023 retirements of male stalwarts John Isner and Jack Sock, both top-10 players in their prime.
Gauff and Shelton showcased that in New York last North American summer, captivating the country with their respective runs. Shelton shocked compatriots Paul (fourth round) and Tiafoe (quarter-finals), before being stopped only by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semis.
Gauff and Pegula have morphed into a formidable doubles team as well, making a Grand Slam final (RG 2022), with the former reaching the world number one ranking (Aug. 2022).
Taylor Townsend boasts a top-10 ranking in women's doubles, while another American - Austin Krajicek - heads the world rankings in men's doubles.
Rajeev Ram - who won mixed doubles silver with Venus Williams in Rio - is ranked sixth. Both Krajicek and Ram won majors in 2023 with different partners.