NEW YORK — It has been two decades since an American man clinched a Grand Slam singles title, but this U.S. Open could potentially change that.

On Sunday, both Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe advanced to the quarterfinals, and Tommy Paul aims to join them when he faces the No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16 on Monday. With the early exits of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, the prospect of an American winning for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2003 now seems increasingly plausible.

“We all push one another to get better,” Fritz mentioned after his victory over the No. 8 seed Casper Ruud, finishing 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Tiafoe, seeded at No. 20 and having faced a disappointing season, marked his third consecutive appearance in the U.S. Open quarterfinals after triumphing over 28^th-seeded Alexei Popyrin with a score of 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3. Tiafoe has notably only reached one other Grand Slam quarterfinal, which was at the 2019 Australian Open, making this a remarkable run at a tournament he aspires to win someday. He will face No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday.

“From a young age, I dreamed of competing on this court after practicing against walls, and it motivates me to perform at my best,” Tiafoe stated during his on-court interview.

As the No. 12 seed, Fritz has held the title of the top-ranked American man for several years. His latest win secured him a quarterfinal spot, making it five in his last ten Grand Slams. However, advancing past this stage has been challenging for Fritz. On Tuesday, he will challenge No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev, who he previously defeated in the Wimbledon Round of 16.

“In the past, reaching the quarterfinals made me very excited, but now I desire more than that,” Fritz remarked. “I’m still pleased to reach this point, but I’m determined to push further than just the quarterfinals.”

“It’s been great to experience success in Grand Slams, but I’m honestly a bit tired of only making it to the quarterfinals. I aim to go beyond that.”