Battle for American No.1 set to heat up in next few months with Shelton, Paul and Fritz neck and neck

Although the American men are yet to achieve Grand Slam success in recent years, there is an impressive depth of players when it comes to U.S tennis. Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul have all made their mark on the ATP tour over the last two years, and the battle for the top-ranked American could be one to watch this season.

There is not much difference in rankings among the three countrymen, as Shelton, Fritz and Paul all rank 14h, 15th and 16th on the ATP rankings table. Additionally, only 140 points separate the trio as they battle for supremacy.

The Atlanta native won his second ATP title in Houston a few weeks ago, leapfrogging over his compatriots to reach a career-high of World No.14. Americans are not known for their success on red clay, with Fritz making it the furthest when he reached the third round at the French Open. It is therefore unlikely that anyone of them will put much distance between himself and the others during the clay season.

However, all three have significant points to defend during the summer. Fritz won the title at the Atlanta Open, in addition to a quarterfinal appearance in Cincinnati. Paul finished runner-up last year at Eastbourne, and reached the semifinals in Montreal. Conversely, Shelton has less points to defend until the US Open, where he reached the semifinals at last year's edition. Therefore, an early exit could cost him significant points, hampering his chances of remaining the top-ranked American player.