ATP Tour

The exclusive list Shelton is bidding to join at US Open…

Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe on Friday at US Open to reach his first Grand Slam final, in which he will face Alexander Zverev. The American is seeking his first major crown and, with a win, would join an elusive club of home champions at Grand Slam tournaments.

Not everyone has the opportunity to win a Grand Slam title in their home country. It is only possible for players of four nationalities: Australian (Australian Open), French (Roland Garros), British (Wimbledon) and American (US Open). However, being a home favourite may not always be an advantage, or so it would seem with a glance at the winners’ circles at the four majors.

Just 13 men in the Open Era (since 1968) have claimed a Grand Slam singles title as a home player. This season, a new name will be added to the list if American Shelton can get his hands on the trophy on Sunday in New York. It would be the first time in 10 years that a home player has claimed the crown in an event in the category.

The last time it happened was back in 2016 at Wimbledon. On the lawns of the All England Club, Andy Murray claimed the second singles trophy of his career, beating Milos Raonic in the final. However, the former ATP No. 1 Club member Murray is the only Briton to win Wimbledon in the Open Era. When he won his first in 2013 (by defeating Novak Djokovic in the championship match), he became the first home champion in London since Fred Perry in 1936.

Besides Murray, only one player has managed to win their home major this century: Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open.

The American claimed the crown by defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final, allowing him to end the season as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Roddick was the seventh American to be crowned champion in Flushing Meadows. Shelton will be vying to become the eighth home player on a list that began in 1968 with Arthur Ashe claiming the US Open trophy.

Other members of this select group include Jimmy Connors, who won the title five times, a haul that was matched by Pete Sampras. For his part, John McEnroe claimed four titles, Andre Agassi two, and Stan Smith completes the list with one to make a total of 19 crowns.

Just four Australians have won the Australian Open crown, and half a century has passed since it last happened. The last man to do it was Mark Edmondson, who won the title in 1976, beating his compatriot John Newcombe in the final. Newcombe was the champion the previous year and in 1973. This quartet of players to have enjoyed winning in front of their home fans also includes Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver, whose name now adorns Melbourne’s centre court.

Finally, Roland Garros is the Grand Slam to have witnessed the fewest of its own players clinch its famous trophy under the skies of Paris. Just one: Yannick Noah in 1983, when he cruised past Mats Wilander to lift the title.

Home champions at Grand Slam tournaments

Few players throughout history have had the privilege of winning a Grand Slam title, but doing so at home is truly rare. Despite the fact that it may seem like an advantage for the Australian, French, British or American players in the field, the statistics say that in 230 Grand Slam events that have been played since 1968, only 28 times a home champion has won the title, making it just 12 per cent of the total.

On Sunday, the fans at the US Open might enjoy a new home champion. It would be the first this decade, the second this century, and the ninth in the Open Era.

Editor's Note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es