Welcome to the latest edition of "Hot Shots," a USOpen.org-curated look at what you may have missed on social media over the past week. Today, we check in on WTA action in Lyon, Davis Cup play around the globe and much more.
With the year's first Grand Slam in the books, so too is January's Australian swing. While champions Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka left Melbourne with the Australian Open singles titles, they're far from the only ones who can look back on the event with fond memories.
Fans who were watching from the United States had plenty to cheer for, as eight American men reached the AO third round and three advanced to the quarterfinals, including semifinalist Tommy Paul. But with the tournament now in the rearview, American viewers have something else to be happy about: No more graveyard shifts in front of the TV.
Ben Shelton was one of those three American men in the final eight. The 20-year-old's run came to an end against Paul in the quarters, but his rise up the ATP rankings is just beginning. The biggest mover of the week in the men's game, Shelton soared 45 places to a new career high of world No. 44, cutting the number of his previous ranking (No. 89) by just more than half.
One of 10 Americans in the Top 50 on Monday, the former Florida Gator replied to a Tennis.com tweet about his surge, saying: "Pretty pumped. Time to keep building."
But first, like many of the fans who watched him stateside, Shelton must get his body off Australian time.
Wednesday was also an important day for athletics in the U.S., as the country celebrated National Girls & Women In Sports Day.
There was no shortage of success for American women in Melbourne, where Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula reached the doubles semifinals and Pegula progressed to the singles quarters. The two leading ladies for the U.S. have become fixtures in the WTA's Top 10, with Pegula currently world No. 4 and Gauff at No. 6.
This week's WTA action is taking place in Lyon, France, and Hua Hin, Thailand. While 2019 US Open champ Bianca Andreescu is into the semifinals as the top seed in Thailand, 2022 US Open semifinalist Caroline Garcia is also through to the final four as the top seed in her native France.
Both Garcia and countrywoman Kristina Mladenovic were honored by a local artist who displayed larger-than-life paintings of the home favorites in the stands.
On the court, 22-year-old American Alycia Parks—a semifinalist in Lyon—came up with one of the shots of the young season as she flicked a tweener lob beyond Petra Martic. The stunning winner helped Parks earn a 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 upset against the Croatian No. 4 seed... and earned the respect of Andreescu from all the way in Thailand.
You've heard of mini tennis... what about mini ping-pong? The Swiss Davis Cup team, led by World No. 53 Marc-Andrea Huesler, tried their hand at the latter, with 2016 US Open champ Stan Wawrinka unleashing the table tennis version of his iconic one-handed backhand.
While we're all waiting for August to see tennis return to New York on the Grand Slam stage, the sport was on display this week in Times Square as Netflix's 'Break Point' hit the big screen.
If you haven't already binge-watched the docuseries, we can't think of a better way to spend your weekend. But whatever you do with your down time, we hope you feel more like the newly retired Shingo Kunieda than Bianca Andreescu in this post.
Check back next week for more US Open Hot Shots!
