Shelton Injured, Tiafoe Eliminated, US Men's US Open Hopes Dented

At the 2025 US Open, American tennis hopes suffered significant setbacks as sixth seed Ben Shelton retired from his third-round match due to a severe left shoulder injury while leading against France's Adrian Mannarino. Shelton, a 2023 semi-finalist and recent Toronto champion, described the pain as the worst he had ever experienced and was forced to withdraw despite his strong form and confidence. Shortly after, 17th seed Frances Tiafoe was also eliminated in straight sets by German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, marking his earliest exit at the tournament in six years. Shelton’s injury and Tiafoe’s loss ended the immediate prospects of an American man ending the 22-year Grand Slam title drought dating back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open victory. Mannarino acknowledged that Shelton likely would have won if not for the injury, while both players expressed mutual respect for the competitive match. Two other American men, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, remain in the tournament, carrying the nation's hopes forward.