Britain will have no singles players in the second week of the US Open after all of its competitors were eliminated in the second round.

It is the fourth time in five Grand Slam tournaments that there has been no British interest in the second week. However, the latest setback has not prompted the same level of concern as earlier exits at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

"Do I think there could be an inquest? I always think there's things that British tennis could do better. So yes, definitely," British women's number three Francesca Jones said. "Do I think it's something that's concerning? No, not at all."

"The level is getting better and everyone is dangerous on their day," Jones added.

Fery run offers encouragement

Arthur Fery’s run to the Wimbledon semi-finals was the standout result for British tennis this year. The 24-year-old, ranked 114th in the world at the time, needed a wildcard to enter the tournament and became the only British player to reach the second week of a Grand Slam in 2026.

Fery’s achievement was described by British tennis officials as evidence that the talent development pathway is working. He became the fourth British player to reach a Grand Slam singles semi-final in the past five years, following Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper.

Nine Britons competed in the US Open main-draw singles, the highest number since 1981. That total did not include Raducanu or Draper, who missed the tournament with long-term injuries.

Lawn Tennis Association chief executive Scott Lloyd said Britain wanted more players to reach the second week of Grand Slam tournaments, but pointed to the number of recent semi-finalists as evidence of improvement.

Five British men are expected to be inside the world’s top 100 after the US Open: Fery, Norrie, Jan Choinski, Toby Samuel and Jacob Fearnley. Katie Boulter and Raducanu are expected to be the two British women in the top 100, while Jones and Harriet Dart have moved back towards that group after reaching the second round in New York.

Injuries and coaching costs remain concerns

The progress has come alongside a series of injuries. Draper has played little over the past year because of an arm problem, while Sonay Kartal has dropped outside the top 100 after a long-term back injury.

Britain also has fewer players inside the top 100 than the United States, Australia and France, as well as Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic and Argentina, according to the report.

Michael Bourne, the LTA’s performance director, said Britain could not simply copy other countries because each has its own tennis system. He said the UK needed a larger base of high-level coaches to support the development of young players.

The LTA says 4.3 million juniors play tennis annually in Britain, with 1.9 million playing every month. Both figures are described as all-time records by the organisation.

However, senior performance coach Chris Marshall said the cost of coaching, travel and tournament fees was a significant barrier for families. He estimated that supporting a 12-year-old at county level could cost between £500 and £1,000 a month.

Marshall, who founded the Young Champs programme to offer free and discounted coaching, said the cost was restricting the pipeline of future players.

Despite the early US Open exit, Lloyd said the indicators for British tennis were positive and that the sport was moving in the right direction.