The Second Week Warriors
Behind the two Grand Slam contenders, I’ve crafted a category dubbed “The Second Week Warriors.” With homage to the Grand Slams, this group of players is consistently in the mix to reach the second week of majors, but lacks the firepower ever to raise a trophy. Really, really good tennis players, but not in that select few of truly elite.
Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Sebastian Korda, Learner Tien, and Alex Michelsen comprise this group.
Tommy Paul reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in June, but injuries marred the back half of his season. He is one of the most exciting Americans to watch, but his lack of an elite weapon keeps him from being a slam-dunk contender. In a similar vein, Frances Tiafoe is fun to watch when he has it rolling. However, the inconsistencies in his game were apparent in 2025. Tiafoe won fewer than 30 matches for the first time since 2020.
In the generation behind Paul and Tiafoe, you have Brandon Nakashima and Sebastian Korda. Both players have dealt with a plethora of injuries throughout their early careers, stunting what could have been current Top 15 levels. Nakashima won 30+ matches for just the second time in his career and will likely be seeded in Australia. Korda, on the other hand, won fewer than 25 matches for the first time since 2020. However, a strong end to the season and consistent time on court lead me to believe he will vault back into the Top 30 next season.
Arguably the two players who have the best chance to leap into the slam contenders category are Learner Tien and Alex Michelesen. Tien may be the most underdiscussed player in men’s tennis. The 20-year-old is ranked No. 28 in the world and won 32 matches in his first full season on the ATP Tour. He doesn’t have the build of a player you would expect to have Grand Slam aspirations, but after ending the season with a 15-4 record in the fall, there is no reason to doubt this kid.
Michelsen is more talked about in tennis circles as a guy who can leave his mark on the Top 10. Big serve, big groundstrokes … he is the prototypical successful American player. The one thing the 21-year-old has to work on is his consistency. Michelsen can suffer some head-scratching losses and actually had a better 2024 than 2025. Backwards trajectory is never something you want to see for a young player.
