American tennis isn’t exactly hurting for talent right now at least on the surface. The rankings show plenty of red, white and blue near the top, and on the women’s side especially, there’s been no shortage of big-stage success in recent years. But when you zoom out just a bit, the picture starts to look a little uneven.

That’s where John McEnroe comes in. Never one to shy away from an honest opinion, the Hall of Famer recently weighed in on what he sees happening across the American tennis landscape. And while there’s plenty to celebrate, McEnroe believes there’s one lingering issue that hasn’t gone away particularly on one side of the sport.

In a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, McEnroe shared the major problem American tennis is facing right now. He said, “When is the next American going to win a major on the men’s side? Unfortunately for the casual American fan, that is how they define success. And on the women’s side, Coco Gauff, Jess Pegula….we have four of them in the top 10. Of course we would love to see a man finally win another major… I think American tennis is in good shape, but to be in great shape we need those players to win majors.”

“American tennis is in good shape. But to be in great shape, we need those [male] players to win majors.”

Patrick McEnroe’s assess the current state of 🇺🇸 tennis ⤵️

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As tough as it may be to admit, John McEnroe isn’t wrong. The American women have carried the spotlight, but the drought on the men’s side has quietly dragged on and that matters when it comes to keeping casual fans invested.

Right now, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are the faces of U.S. men’s tennis. They’re talented, exciting, and capable of deep runs. But when you stack them up against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the gap feels real. Recent matchups haven’t exactly suggested a changing of the guard.

For either Fritz or Shelton to lift a Slam trophy anytime soon, it would likely require a major shift because right now, the sport’s biggest stages still seem to run through Sinner and Alcaraz.

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.