Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe end 30-year US wait at Roland Garros

Oli Dickson Jefford 31 May 2025 9:55 AM

Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe.

A strong day for US men’s tennis saw Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe all reach the fourth round of the French Open on Friday.

Tiafoe breezed past compatriot Sebastian Korda, and Shelton ended the run of qualifier Matteo Gigante in straight sets – while Paul battled past Karen Khachanov in a five-set epic.

It is the first time for all three men that they have reached the second week of Roland Garros, with Ethan Quinn looking to join them on Saturday.

However, regardless of Quinn’s result, Paul, Tiafoe, and Shelton have matched a staggering 30-year milestone in Paris – and will now look to match at least one more.

Three men in the round of 16

The strength and depth of US players towards the top of the men’s game has noticeably grown in recent seasons, with the likes of Paul, Tiafoe, and Shelton joined by the likes of Taylor Fritz and Korda.

Though 23rd seed Korda fell in straight sets to Tiafoe and fourth seed Fritz was shocked in round one, three American men are still standing in the bottom half of the men’s singles draw in Paris.

All three will return to action on Sunday, and it is the first time in three decades that America has three different male players in the second week of the French Open.

The last time that happened was in 1995, when American tennis greats Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang all made it to at least the fourth round.

Sixth seed Chang went on to reach the final, falling to Thomas Muster, while top seed Agassi was beaten in the quarter-final by Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and 13th seed Courier in the round of 16 by Albert Costa.

Should qualifier Quinn beat Tallon Griekspoor on Saturday, it would be the first time since 1991 (Courier, Agassi, Chang, Todd Martin) that four American men reached the second week.

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Quarter-final wait to end?

Paul, Tiafoe, and Shelton have already ended one long US drought at that French Open – can they now end another?

Quite incredibly, it has been a staggering 22 years since an American man reached the quarter-final in Paris, with Agassi reaching his ninth and final French Open quarter-final in 2003.

A small handful of US men, including Fritz in 2024 and Andy Roddick in 2009, have reached the fourth round of the tournament since, but none have reached the last eight.

Of the trio already into the last 16, 13th seed Shelton perhaps has the toughest task to reach the quarter-final, with second seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz his opponent on Sunday.

However, Tiafoe and Paul have kinder, if still not easy, draws.

Twelfth seed Paul will face 25th seed Alexei Popyrin, while Tiafoe faces the unseeded Daniel Altmaier – the man who knocked out US No 1 Fritz in the first round.