Who are the home hopefuls to keep an eye on at this year's US Open? James Walker-Roberts picks five to watch in New York...
A new era? A changing of the guard? It's tricky to know exactly where American tennis is right now.
Steve Johnson has just become the nation's top-ranked male player at the age of 26, Serena Williams was recently one match away from losing her long-standing grip on the world No 1 spot, while last year's US Open boys' champion, Taylor Fritz, is the youngest player in the top ATP top 100.
With all that in mind, we pick out five Americans to look for at the US Open...
Serena Williams
Last year, Serena had the pressure of the 'Serena Slam', this year she could lose the No 1 ranking in New York. Not only that, but she is bidding to surpass Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 majors.
Serena will head into the final major of the year as the top-ranked player, a distinction she has held since February 18, 2013. She does, though, owe some gratitude to Karolina Pliskova, who beat Angelique Kerber in the final in Cincinnati to prevent the German claiming top spot.
There are several scenarios that could play out in New York with regards to the rankings, with Kerber, Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska all in with a chance of taking top spot. For Serena, a run to the final looks almost essential if she is going to stay at the summit and break another Graf record of time spent at the top of the rankings.
Serena is a six-time champion at the US Open but was memorably upset by Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals last year. She has also not played since losing in the third round at the Olympics.
Steve Johnson
If the pressure is on Serena, does the same apply to Johnson?
After a slow start to the year that saw him go 6-14, Johnson won in Nottingham, reached the last 16 at Wimbledon, the semi-finals in Washington and then the quarter-finals at the Olympics, losing to eventual champion Andy Murray after being a break up in the third set.
His recent results have seen him take the mantle of the highest-ranked American male player, ahead of John Isner, who had held the tag for three years. Still, Johnson is ranked outside the top 20 in the world.
"We always strive for greatness, but it is tough," he told the New York Times. "There's just a lot of guys who happen to be better than everybody else right now."
Is Johnson the best hope for the home nation on the men's side? His form and ranking suggests so, although only once, in 2012, has he made it past the first round.
Madison Keys
Tipped as a future world No 1 by coach Brad Gilbert last year, Keys has climbed up the rankings in the past few months.
After winning in Birmingham, she reached the last 16 at Wimbledon before losing in the final in Montreal and then losing out in the bronze medal match at the Olympics to Petra Kvitova.
The 21-year-old certainly appears to be on an upward curve, even if she did have to pull out of the recent Connecticut Open with a neck injury.
Keys expects to be fine for the US Open and told USA Today: "I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's always fun getting to play the last Slam at home.
"I really just want to go out and do my absolute best. When I walk off the court, if I know I've left it all out there, my absolute best, win or lose, then I'm going to be happy."
The world No 9 is yet to make it past the fourth round at the US Open and has been eliminated at that stage in all three majors this year. But her agent, Max Eisenbud, says he thinks she will "win a Grand Slam really soon".
Venus Williams
At the age of 36, the older of the Williams sisters may not grace the courts of the US Open too many more times. So, can the two-time champion challenge once again?
Her recent form, aside from the Olympics when she was struck by illness and lost in the first round, suggests it should not be ruled out completely.
At Wimbledon, she seemed to turn back time to reach the semi-finals, before making the final at the WTA Premier in Stanford.
Last year in New York, she pushed sister Serena in a three-set quarter-final defeat, and, perhaps buoyed by her mixed doubles silver medal in Rio, it would not be a surprise to see Venus make the second week again.
Taylor Fritz
There's plenty of buzz around last year's US Open boys' champion.
Fritz turned pro only last year but has soared into the top 100 behind a powerful serve and physical game that will surely only improve with time.
His most notable results this year include reaching the final of the ATP 250 in Memphis, the quarter-finals of the 500 in Acapulco and pushing Roger Federer in a tight three-setter in Stuttgart.
Perhaps significantly, he still knows he has a long way to go.
"When all these people say these great things are going to happen in the future, it's easy to think you've already made it," he told the Observer."It's easy to get a big head and think because they're saying it that it's going to be true. But because they're saying it, that's even more reason to put your head down and work hard."
Like several young Americans, Fritz has been working with former world No 7 Mardy Fish, who has been involved with the USTA Player Development program after retiring from tennis after last year's US Open.
Fish says of Fritz that he "wants to be great, not really good".