2023 In Review: Shelton's rise, U.S. United Cup win among men's highlights

As 2023 comes to a close, USTA.com is recapping the biggest stories of the year in American tennis. We begin with a look at five of the top men's storylines at the professional level.

Five American men finished the season in the singles Top 25—Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda—while Austin Krajicek finished a year in which he won his first Grand Slam title as the doubles World No. 1.

Read on to relive some of the best moments from those players and their compatriots in 2023.

1) Fritz & Tiafoe lead U.S. to inaugural United Cup, kickstarting strong individual seasons

As the two leading men on the American team, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe kicked off the season by posting a combined 9-1 singles record at the United Cup to help the American team claim the trophy. 

Fritz clinched the cup with a win against Italy's Matteo Berrettini, making history with a U.S. roster that was anchored by Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys on the women's side.

“It’s great. It’s amazing for the team to win this event," Fritz said amidst the celebrations. "We came in with really high hopes, or at least I did, for the event. I was really happy to be in that position to clinch the match.”

The success at the United Cup provided a perfect springboard for a second straight Top 10 season for Fritz, who won titles in Atlanta and in Delray Beach to maintain his status as the No. 1 American man. He also reached the US Open quarterfinals for his best New York result and advanced to the quarters or better at four ATP Masters 1000s, finishing the year with 53 match wins.

Tiafoe, who was a perfect 5-0 at United Cup, won titles in Houston and in Stuttgart to earn his Top 10 debut in June. The 25-year-old, who has now won one ATP Tour title on each surface (hard, clay, grass), also enjoyed a deep run at the US Open for the second straight year, making the quarterfinals to back up his breakout semifinal showing in 2022.

The big-serving American won a pair of five-setters to reach the last eight in Melbourne, but struggled to back up that result in the months that followed. That changed in a big way at the US Open, where Shelton once again proved he's a man for the big stages with an electric run to the semifinals at his home Slam.

After racking up high-profile wins against Dominic Thiem, Tommy Paul and Tiafoe, it took a first-class performance from eventual champion Novak Djokovic to stop Shelton's chase for the title.

Immediately after the US Open, Shelton was a key member of Team World's Laver Cup victory (including a trophy-clinching doubles win with Tiafoe). He then celebrated his 21st birthday with his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal showing in Shanghai before winning his maiden ATP title in Tokyo the next week.

3) Paul, Korda & Eubanks make deep Slam runs, reach career-high rankings

Tommy Paul's consistent season was highlighted by a pair of finals (Eastbourne, Acapulco) and semifinal showings at the Australian Open and in Toronto. The 26-year-old hit a career-high of world No. 12 in October and finished the year as the No. 2 American man, just three spots behind Fritz.

Sebastian Korda reached a new high of No. 23, also in October, despite missing a chunk of the season with a wrist injury he suffered in Australia. Before he was forced to retire in the Aussie Open quarterfinals, Korda knocked off Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz in consecutive matches to reach that stage for the first time at a major. He hit top form again with a blistering run after the US Open, making his first Masters 1000 semifinal in Shanghai following deep runs in Zhuhai (semis) and Astana (final).

Christopher Eubanks made headlines by reaching the Miami quarterfinals as a qualifier in March. But after breaking into the Top 100 behind that result, an even bigger breakthrough came during the grass swing. After winning his first ATP title in Mallorca, Eubanks ran his win streak to nine matches by reaching the Wimbledon quarters, beating home favorite Cameron Norrie and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas along the way to move into the Top 30.

4) Krajicek wins Roland Garros doubles title, finishes as year-end No. 1

Austin Krajicek capped a banner year with the ultimate honor in men's doubles, finishing the 2023 season as world No. 1.

The 33-year-old first rose to the top spot in June after claiming his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, alongside Croatian partner Ivan Dodig. The title came one year after the pair missed out on a championship point in Paris, making the moment that much sweeter.

Krajicek briefly lost the top spot before the US Open but reclaimed it for good by reaching the semifinals in New York. He and Dodig also finished the season as the ATP's top doubles team; they won five titles, including at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

“It's an amazing feeling for sure," Krajicek said of his No. 1 finish. "It really was a special year, the whole year.

"It's a cool feeling. It's hard to put into words. It's pretty cool to be able to finish as the No. 1 team and know that the hard work you put in all year, all the ups and downs and tough losses and really special wins we've had this year came together at the end there.

"It's pretty cool to be able to finish the year No. 1. It's something that we can always be proud of and look back on, so we're super excited about that."