American Men Narrowly Miss Tennis Glory Amidst European Dominance

American tennis players have inched closer to their European counterparts over the past decade but still fall short of Grand Slam success, considered the ultimate measure of greatness in the sport. United States number two player Tommy Paul shared these insights during the French Open on Sunday.

Taylor Fritz, another top U.S. player, recently had an opportunity to break his country's long-standing major title drought but was defeated by Italy's Jannik Sinner at last year's Flushing Meadows final. This placed a spotlight on U.S. men's tennis, further compounded by continued dominance from European stars like Carlos Alcaraz and the Italian Sinner.

Paul, currently ranked 12th in the world, insists the gap is still there, with several elite Europeans ranked higher. However, he remains optimistic, citing Fritz's performance as a beacon of inspiration that could motivate other American players to end their lengthy championship hiatus and revive U.S. tennis prestige.

(With inputs from agencies.)