Shortly before midday on Monday, the LED screens behind each baseline of Arthur Ashe Stadium began to burn bright yellow and supporters streaming towards their seats were met with a three-word indication of what lay in wait: ‘Kids On Court’.
The message appeared as a bunch of children invaded the show court on opening day of the US Open. They were from nearby, New York’s Carefree Racquet Club, and their job was to ‘show us what the next generation is all about’.
It was a fitting appetizer – before long, the mini nets had been collected and the court was cleared for another couple of youngsters to take center stage. On Monday, Ben Shelton, 21, and Coco Gauff, 20, were first and second on Arthur Ashe. Together they tasked with lighting the fuse on this US Open.
As a kid, Gauff would let her mind wander to high places. She dreamed of being US President and of joining the British Royal Family.
Last year, she met Barack and Michelle Obama en route to being crowned queen of Queens. Shelton fell in the semi-finals. But it was a run, on his first full season on tour, that catapulted the 21-year-old towards superstardom.
On Monday, Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff lit the fuse on this year’s US Open in New York
The defending champion cruised past world No 66 Varvara Gracheva in straight sets
They have taken very different paths to this curtain raiser – Gauff had upset Venus Williams at Wimbledon by the age of 15, Shelton didn’t take this sport seriously until his mid-teens. But they are both homegrown talents with the tools to electrify this fortnight and rule American tennis for years.
They are friends, too. Gauff and Shelton recently took on an Escape Room together; they will struggle to flee the spotlight for some time yet.
On Monday, both did their job – Shelton, the next great hope of American men’s tennis, overcame Dominic Thiem in straight sets before Gauff – the sport’s poster girl and defending champion – overcame an early wobble to cruise past world No 66 Varvara Gracheva. They are American tennis’ present and its future.
‘I’m just treating this tournament as a (victory lap),’ Gauff said. ‘I’m going to (win) it again, whether it’s 2024 or not. I’m going to do it again.’
She looked primed to take over when she became the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams. She went on to reach a first semifinal at the Australian Open and the final four at Roland Garros, too.
In recent weeks, however, the wheels have come off. There have been tears and tantrums and some terrible results. It started at Wimbledon, when she crashed out early. It came to a head at the Paris Olympics, when she cried and clashed with the umpire.
Shelton powered past Dominic Thiem in the Austrian’s final ever match in a Grand Slam
‘I’m sorry this is the way is ended,’ Shelton said, despite showing no pity over two hours of play
The signs were rather ominous here when Gauff lost the first game to love and then gave up three break points in her opening service game. But she held, she broke and then she never looked back. Gauff won 12 of the final 13 games to book her place in round two with a 6-2 6-0 win in little over an hour.
Earlier, Shelton struck the match on this fortnight against a player whose flame is petering out. Only four years have passed since Dominic Thiem won here to claim a maiden Grand Slam. This match proved his final bow at the US Open – and his last ever match at a major.
For a time, he was the future, the prospect tipped to break the stranglehold of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. Among that lost generation – between tennis’ golden era and this new crop of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Co – he appeared best placed to rack up multiple major wins. Instead, that 2020 victory stands alone and now a wrist injury has condemned Thiem to early retirement.
And so it all felt rather cruel as Shelton pounded away during Thiem’s last stand. Not only because the American is just beginning his journey but also because the power that has propelled Shelton to the top is built on the ferocious snap of his left wrist. Thiem’s resistance was finally broken after just under two hours on Arthur Ashe.
Gauff, still just 20, won her maiden Grand Slam title with victory at last year’s US Open
Shelton, meanwhile, had a breakthrough run to the semifinals at last year’s tournament
The Austrian was treated to a framed collage of memories and a video montage. He was given an emotional send-off by the New York crowd – and by Shelton, who briefly ceded the spotlight and even apologized for his role in this finale. ‘I’m sorry this is the way is ended,’ he said, having showed scant pity for the previous two hours.
Shelton is made for stages such as this. The butterflies, he said afterwards, have disappeared already. He has the charisma and the game and the looks. Decked out in a pink and blue tank top, Shelton dismantled Thiem with a combination of thunderous power and touch around the net.
The 21-year-old now struts into the second round, knowing a possible rematch against Djokovic – who beat him last year – lingers in the last 16. This was an eye-catching opening statement.
Taylor Fritz sits one place ahead of Shelton in the rankings and leads the crop of five American men in the world’s top 20. But no US player has the superstar potential of this 21-year-old. Except Gauff. This won’t be the last time Arthur Ashe welcomes these kids on the court.
