WIMBLEDON
Who was the last American to win the Wimbledon men’s singles championship?
With two players in this year’s men’s singles quarter finals, the US is hoping for a Wimbledon champion after a long wait.
The quarter final lineup for this year’s Wimbledon men’s singles is now complete. The United States is represented better than anyone else on this occasion with two players through to the Last 8 - both ranked just outside the ATP Top 10.
US pair in the last eight at Wimbledon
Tommy Paul has a tough test ahead against the defending champions Carlos Alcaraz, who so far has been looking at the top of his game and has already left one American player in his wake - Frances Tiafoe Jr who he beat in a five-set thriller in the third round.
Taylor Fritz dumped world No.6 Alexander Zverez out in the last round and will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti next. This is the furthest Musetti has got in four appearances at Wimbledon, while Fritz is enjoying his eighth visit to the All England Club. He reached the quarter final in 2022 only to lose to Rafa Nadal.
If both Paul and Fritz win their respective quarter finals, they will avoid each other in the bracket which means that it is still theoretically possible that we could see an an American final in the men’s singles (unlike the the women’s singles, with just Emma Navarro flying the flag for the US).
America’s recent record at Wimbledon
American male tennis players have endured a woeful couple of decades in the Grand Slam tournaments. It’s been almost a quarter of a century since US players have made a significant impact in the major tournaments.
Andy Roddick’s impressive win at the 2003 US Open was the last time an American clinched a major title. Since then, the American tennis scene has been rather quiet, with the exception of Roddick’s valiant effort in the 2009 Wimbledon final against the legendary Roger Federer, which saw him fall just short in a grueling five-set battle.
It appears highly improbable that the streak in question will be snapped in the near future.
Who was the last American to win the last Wimbledon men’s title?
Pete Sampras was the last American to win at Wimbledon. He did back in 2000 after defeating Patrick Rafter.
Sampras and Rafter clashed again in the final, marking the third encounter between the two in just four years. The stage was set for an epic showdown as two tennis titans, Rafter and Sampras, faced off in their third consecutive Grand Slam final.
Rafter had previously emerged victorious over Sampras at the US Open in both 1997 and 1998, adding to the intensity of the match.
Sampras came into the match with a fierce determination to avenge his previous loss and cement his legacy as the ultimate Wimbledon victor. In a stunning display of skill and determination, he secured victory in four sets, earning him his seventh Wimbledon championship and 13th Grand Slam title.
In a stunning display of athleticism, the tennis superstar shattered Roy Emerson’s longstanding record of 12 Grand Slam titles and surpassed the legendary Renshaw’s six Wimbledon titles dating all the way back to 1889.