- 25-year-old reaches first grand slam semi-final of career
- Andy Roddick was last US man to win major, in 2003
Tommy Paul was a star in the juniors and is making good on that promise in the pros, using a 7-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory over his US compatriot Ben Shelton at the Australian Open to reach his first grand slam semi-final in his 14th appearance at a major.
“Every junior to pro has a different path. … Mine has been, like, the slowest,” Paul said, mentioning a group of Americans he grew up with: Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Reilly Opelka. “I like to think the last four years of my career has just been like steady steps moving up. I mean, that’s what it’s felt like. I feel like hopefully 2023 is the year where I really make a big jump.”
