Patrick McEnroe offered his expectations for the approaching 2026 US Open tournament. He singled out Ben Shelton as a key player. He expects Shelton will end a 23-year U.S. men's Grand Slam drought at the US Open. McEnroe commented on Carlos Alcaraz as well. He stated the returning player holds a huge chance at the 2026 competition.
These predictions for Shelton and Alcaraz show the possibility to end the drought in American tennis. Outlets including Tennis World USA and SSBCrack wrote about McEnroe's statements regarding the competitors and the action.